Heavy rain induced by deep depression lashes Odisha, one dead, 2 missing

Bhubaneswar, Oct 2 (PTI) Heavy rain induced by a deep depression lashed Odisha on Thursday, affecting normal life in the state with widespread waterlogging and leaving one person dead and two others missing due to landslides, officials said.

The intensity of the rain increased as the depression crossed the state’s coast near Gopalpur in Ganjam district on Thursday evening, they said.

According to an IMD official, downpours will continue till 8.30 am on Friday.

“One person died and two others went missing in landslides at six places in Gajapati due to incessant rain for the past two days. The deceased was buried under the rubble on Thursday after a landslide took place in an area under the R Udaygiri Police Station limits,” SP Jatindra Kumar Panda told PTI over the phone.

Seventy-year-old Kartika Shabara and his son Rajib Shabara went missing as a landslide struck in an area near Pekat under the Rayagarh block in the district, the SP said.

"Rescue operations are being carried out. The roads connecting Rayagarh with Nuagarh and R Udaygiri have been cut off," he said.

Twenty-four tourists were rescued from the Mahendragiri Hills as they were stranded due to a landslide, he said.

In view of severe damage due to heavy rain, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi asked Commerce and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhasan Jena to reach the district and oversee the rescue operation.

Majhi also directed the special relief commissioner to provide immediate assistance required by the district administration.

An official release issued by the CMO said, "The water levels in various rivers have increased in Gajapati district, posing a risk of inundation of many areas. The CM spoke to the Gajapati district collector and inquired about the situation." Two persons suffered injury 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.

According to sources in East Coast Railway (ECoR), train services were affected in southern Odisha due to incessant rains and the falling of boulders in various parts of the Kottavalasa-Kirandul and Koraput- Rayagada line of the Waltair Division.

The Visakhapatnam-Kirandul Night Express leaving Visakhapatnam was cancelled on Thursday, while the Kirandul-Visakhapatnam train, leaving Kirandul on October 2, was short-terminated up to Koraput.

The Santragachi-Yesvantpur Weekly Express was rescheduled.

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

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 west-central 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 would experience heavy to very heavy rainfall on Thursday night, and the downpours would 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.

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 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 BDC BDC