Floods threaten Phailin-hit south Odisha

-- Rain, road communications hit in Odisha-AP border

-- Incessant rains wreak havoc in coastal dists

BRAHMAPUR/BHUBANESWAR: Heavy rainfall caused due to low pressure over south coastal Andhra Pradesh adjoining west central Bay of Bengal created flood situation in south Odisha on Thursday.

“Almost all the rivers in the region were flowing above the danger level as incessant rains continued to lash the State for four consecutive days,” said Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradipta Kumar Mohapatra.

He said that nearly 66,000 of 129 villages in Ganjam district had been cut-off from rest of the world. Small breaches have been created at many places due to spate in different rivers including Bahuda.

After badly hit by the  cyclonic storm Phailin, Ganjam has received heavy to very heavy rainfall during last four days which has triggered flood-like situation in Rushikulya, Badanadi, Baghua, Bahuda, Ghodahada, Bagi, Lohrakhandi, Poichandia, Kanteijhuda, Batarada and Mahendrataneya rivers which threaten Aska, Ganjam, Digapahandi, Sheragada, Chikiti, Patrapur, Bhanjanagar, Hinjilikatu, Purushottampur and Begunia blocks of the district.

Incessant rains left Brahmapur city in miserable condition too. Slums and low lying areas were engulfed with water as Bahana Naala failed to drain out flood water. Gajapati Nagar, Gobinda Nagar, Basudev Nagar, Neelanchala Nagar were inundated with the rainwater, officials said.

Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) team has started rescuing people by using boats. 

Raibari Behera, an elderly woman of Alipur in Aska block, swept away in the floodwater, while three others reportedly died in wall collapse in the district, sources said.

Also disruption in relief and restoration works caused due to rains has compounded the affected people’s woes.

Similarly, flood situation was worsening in Gajapati and Rayagada districts. Many villages under Mohana and Kasinagar blocks in Gajapati district and Gunupur area in Rayagada district have been affected as floodwater entered into villages. 

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik directed the district administration to arrange free kitchens to provide cooked food to the flood-affected people in Ganjam, Gajapati and Rayagada. Eight teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and ODRAF have been deployed in rescue operation in the region, official sources said. 

Also, road and rail communication between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh was badly hit due to heavy flow of water on roads and railway tracks. Odisha State Road Transportation Corporation (OSRTC) cancelled all its buses to Gajapati and undivided Koraput in view of the flood situation.

Similarly, East Coast Railway (ECoR) has cancelled trains between Ichhapuram and Jhadupudi stations in Brahmapur-Palasa section due to torrential rains. Train services have also been disrupted between Khurda Road and Vizianagaram from the evening of October 23. As a result, long distance trains have been diverted and some trains have been short terminated, rescheduled and partially cancelled, ECoR sources said.

     

Low pressure-induced rains also wrecked havoc in coastal districts including Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Jagatsinghpur, Baleswar on Thursday. It was reported that rivers in North Odisha including Budhabalanga, Subarnarekha and Brahmani were swelling. 

The trough line which was created earlier is moving towards interior Odisha so that the district Collectors of North Odisha were directed to remain alert, the SRC said.

The Met department said that heavy to very heavy rainfall would occur at one or two places during next 24 hours. Local cautionary signal number three (LC-III) hoisted at all ports in Odisha. Squally weather with wind speed of 45 to 55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph may prevail along and off Odisha Coast. Sea condition would be rough to very rough so that fishermen were advised not to venture into the sea.

Published on October 25, 2013 in The Pioneer