Deep depression crosses Odisha coast, heavy rain continues, 2 injured

Bhubaneswar, Oct 2 (PTI) Heavy rain continued to lash Odisha on Thursday as a deep depression crossed the state’s coast near Gopalpur in Ganjam on Thursday evening, causing landslides and waterlogging in several districts and leaving two persons injured, officials said.

The two persons suffered injury in Jagatsinghpur district after a decorative bamboo gate, erected on the occasion of Durga Puja at Balikuda, collapsed, and they were admitted to a local community health centre, police said. State revenue department officials said that heavy rain triggered landslides in Gajapti, Rayagada and Koraput districts, while some trees fell in Ganjam.

Rainwater submerged a bridge in Koraput district, disrupting vehicular movement on National Highway 326, connecting Odisha with Andhra Pradesh, they said.

The road communication between Jagatsinghpur and Machhagaon has also been affected due to heavy rain.

The administration deployed disaster management teams and machinery in vulnerable districts to tackle the situation, and fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea along and off the Odisha coast till October 3, the officials said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a 'red' alert of extremely heavy rainfall in seven districts, an 'orange' warning for 16 and a 'yellow' alert for the remaining seven districts.

Almost all parts of the state have been receiving heavy rain since Wednesday, especially the coastal and southern regions.

In a latest statement, the IMD said, “The deep depression over Northwest and adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 17 kmph during the past six hours, crossed Odisha coast close to Gopalpur around 5 PM.” Gopalpur reported a maximum "wind speed of 73 kmph in gustiness due to the deep depression", an IMD official said.

The deep depression is very likely to "continue to move north-northwestwards across south Odisha and weaken gradually into a depression by October 3 morning", the IMD said.

IMD Director General Mrutunjay Mohapatra told a news channel that certain parts of Odisha will experience heavy to very heavy rainfall on Thursday night, and the downpours will continue till 8.30 am on Friday.

Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre's Director Manorama Mohanty said the IMD has issued "red alert" (take action) for Puri, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Kalahandi and Kandhamal, where extremely heavy rainfall of above 20 cm may be experienced at isolated places till 8.30 am on Friday.

She said that 16 districts have been categorised under "orange alert" (be prepared), where heavy to very heavy rainfall of 7 cm to 20 cm is expected till Friday morning.

Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Bolangir, Sonepur, Boudh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Nayagarh and Khurda are among the 16 districts.

Similarly, a 'yellow warning' of rainfall of 7 cm to 11 cm has been issued for seven other districts in the western region of the state, Mohanty said.

The state government deployed men and machinery in vulnerable districts to tackle the situation, an official said.

“Under the influence of the deep depression, squally wind with speed reaching 55-65 kmph, gusting to 75 kmph, is very likely to prevail over the central and adjoining north Bay of Bengal on October 2,” Mohanty said, adding that the wind intensity would gradually decline.

The IMD has also suggested "hoisting of the local cautionary signal (LC-3)" at all ports in the state. It is a warning system for vessels. PTI AAM NN AAM BDC