Heavy rains, triggered by a low pressure, disrupted normal life in many parts of Odisha today causing a flood-like situation in three districts. More showers were forecast today.
There was a flood-like situation in Kalahandi, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts following incessant rains, which caused several rivers to be in spate and inundate over six villages and snap the road links, officials said.
In Kalahandi, at least five villages and hundreds of acres of paddy fields were submerged and a large number of people were left marooned, they added.
Kalahandi Collector A K Manik said a 10-foot breach in the Indravati left canal, near Ranibahal, led to the inundation of some villages. “As a precautionary measure, power generation had been stopped at the Indravati Hydel project,” the collector said when he visited some of the affected areas.
Vehicular movement was also disrupted between Mukhiguda and Jaipatna because of the breach.
There was a flood-like situation at places near the Hati river in the district, following heavy rainfall in its catchment areas. Officals said that the waters of the river submerged vast areas at Temera, Matikhal and Biripur and road communication was hit in the Kalampur block of the district.
A breach on National Highway 26—near Maidalpur in Nabarangpur district—following heavy rainfall severely affected the vehicular traffic. “It virtually snapped the road links between Nabarangpur and Kalahandi districts,” the officials said.
There was a flood-like situation in Malkangiri district as well. Road connectivity was snapped due to a landslide caused by heavy rains in the Chitrakonda area. The road links between Malkangiri and Balimela were cut off as a bridge was submerged.
Rivers like the Sileru, Saberi, Saptadhara, Poteru and Tamasa were in spate, inundating vast areas.
Malkangiri Deputy Collector Tapan Kumar Naik said that immediate steps were taken to shift the people from the affected areas to safe places and provide them with relief.
More rains
Meanwhile, the meteorological centre here forecast more rains and thundershowers at most places of Odisha over the next 24 hours, due to the low pressure which lied over the central parts of the state.
Under its impact, heavy to very heavy rainfall was likely to occur at one or two places in interior Odisha, while heavy rainfall might lash one or two places in the coastal areas of the state, the Met office said.
A strong gusty surface wind from the southeasterly direction in north Odisha and southwesterly direction in south Odisha, with a speed of 45–50 kmph, is likely to prevail along and off the Odisha coast.
The sea conditions would be rough to very rough, the Met office said and cautioned the fishermen against venturing into the sea. PTI CORR SKN KK RC 08281611