Eight killed as incessant rain pounds Odisha; state likely to face floods as low pressure area develops in Bay of Bengal

Bhubaneswar: At least eight people were killed in Odisha due to heavy rain triggered by the formation of two back-to-back low pressure areas, while fear of flood loomed large in several areas on Tuesday, officials said.

Train services were affected in parts of west Odisha as water submerged tracks in some places as incessant rain pounded districts such as Boudh, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Subarnapur districts, they said.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reviewed the heavy rain and flash flood situation in Bolangir, Kalahandi, Boudh, Subarnapur and Kandhamal districts.

The chief minister, who interacted with the concerned collectors through video conference, enquired about their requirements, an official in chief minister’s office said.

Collectors of Khurda, Cuttack, Nayagarh, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts have been alerted and advised to strengthen river bank patrolling as more than ten lakh cusec water will flow in river Mahanadi on 15 August after the opening of sluice gates of Hirakud Dam on Wednesday, he said.

With more rainfall likely to batter the state over the next two days due to the formation of a fresh low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, the district administrations have been asked to be prepared to deal with the possible flood, he said.

Another low pressure over ten days ago had earlier triggered a flood-like situation in several parts of south and west Odisha crippling life and snapping road links.

“Eight deaths have been reported from districts such as Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Koraput and Malkangiri due to rain-related incidents recently,” Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), BP Sethi told reporters.

As heavy downpour battered the state for the last two days, several low-lying areas in districts including Boudh, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Subarnapur were submerged disrupting road connectivity, he said.

Five districts in Odisha recorded average rainfall of more than 100 mm since Monday. While Bolangir received average 226.3 mm rainfall, Boudh recorded 169.7 mm, Kalahandi 160.4 mm, Subarnapur 139.6 mm and Kandhamal 125.3 mm, he said.

Karlamunda Block of Kalahandi district recorded highest 608 mm rainfall since Monday. Two blocks in Kalahandi and Bolangir districts recorded rainfall of more than 400 mm, while 4 Blocks in these two districts have recorded rainfall of more than 300 mm, Sethi said.

However, all major rivers, including Mahanadi, in the state were flowing below danger and warning level, he said.

The situation is reported to be grim in many areas in Boudh, Bolangir, Kandhamal districts.

In view of the inclement weather, schools have been closed on Tuesday in Kalahandi, Nuapada, Bolangir and Bargarh districts, an official said.

Due to water flowing over the track at many locations between Deogaon Road Bargarh, Loisinga-Bolangir and in BarpalliDnguripalli Stations in Sambalpur-Titilagarh Railway Section, train services were suspended temporarily in view of safety of trains and passengers, a railway official said.

Train services will resume when the water level recedes, an East Coast Railway (ECoR) spokesperson said. While nine trains were cancelled, three were partially cancelled and over ten others diverted, he said.

While fire service personnel were deployed in many areas, seven teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) engaged in Boudh, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada and Kandhamal districts, the SRC said.

Stating that district collectors have been asked to remain prepared to deal with the possible flood, he said the administrative machinery is ready to meet any eventuality.

Arrangements have been made for providing adequate food, safe drinking water, lights, health and sanitation facilities at relief centres.

The Meteorological Centre here issued ‘Red Warning’ for Sundargarh, Balangir, Kalahandi, Boudh, Sonepur, Nuapada and Jharsuguda till Wednesday and said extremely heavy rainfall may may lash some places in these districts.

Similarly, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur in some areas of Koraput, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Nawarangpur, Angul, Deogarh, Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Bargarh districts.

Heavy rainfall may also lash parts of Malkangiri, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Nayagarh, Khordha, Puri, Gajpati and Ganjam districts till Wednesday.

Similarly, a heavy downpour is likely to lash isolated places in Nuapada, Bolangir, Sonepur, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Sundergarh, Kalahandi, Koraput and Rayagada districts on Wednesday and Thursday, the MeT centre said.

Squally weather with wind speed exceeding 45 kmph is likely to prevail, with sea condition being rough to very rough along and off the Odisha coast, it said and advised fishermen against venturing into the sea till Wednesday.

Meanwhile, officials said a warning has been issued to people living in the vicinity of Hirakud dam over Mahanadi river as the water level in the barrage has crossed 616 feet against the full reservoir capacity of 630 feet.

In view of the situation, water would be released from the dam on Wednesday through sluice gates, the dam’s chief engineer K Nayak said.