Incessant rain hits normal life in Odisha, IMD forecasts more shower

Bhubaneswar, Sep 2 (PTI) Normal life across Odisha was thrown out of gear as heavy showers continued since Monday night, while the formation of a fresh low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal has activated rainfall activities, IMD said.

The weather agency said the state will get more rain in the next four days. As the sea condition is very likely to be rough on Wednesday, the IMD has cautioned fishermen not to venture into the sea along and off the Odisha coast till September 3.

The fresh low pressure area, which is the third of its kind in a span of 20 days, has caused severe rainfall across the state.

The state capital of Bhubaneswar has received 45 mm of rainfall in nine hours from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm, while Chhatraput town in Ganjam district got 46.6 mm rain during the period. Bolangir in the western region got 41.5 mm rain, followed by 39 mm at Parlakhemundi in the southern parts of the state.

According to revenue and disaster management department sources, heavy rain caused urban flash floods in Balasore, Patnagarh, Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.

The rain water gushed into the district headquarter hospital (DHH) in Balasore and a government hospital in Patnagarh in Bolangir district.

A report from Balasore said that apart from the DHH, rainwater entered into several shops, and traders had to struggle to flush out water. Food packets and other essential items were seen floating inside a shopping mall in Balasore town while the rainwater created an artificial flood in the city.

In Bhubaneswar, several roads witnessed severe traffic congestion due to waterlogging, cause severe problems for commuters, including ambulances, stuck for hours, and causing long queues.

“It took at least 30 minutes to travel just one kilometer at Infocity square in Patia area of Bhubaneswar,” said Minati Singha, a working woman, adding that a heavy traffic jam was witnessed in all major points in the city due to continued rainfall.

In Malkangiri, normal life was also severely affected due to incessant rain, which submerged major roads and bridges, cutting off connectivity with Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Rainwater was flowing above four feet on a bridge at Kankarakonda on National Highway 326.

Continued heavy downpour triggered landslides along Rangapani road under Tentulipadar Gram Panchayat under Narayanapatna block in Koraput, affectingroad communication. Tala Rangapani and Upar Rangamani villages in Koraput are cut off due to landslide. This apart, mudslides have been also been reported in the area connecting Kukudasil and Rangapani, an official said.

In Sundergarh district, at least five villages have been marooned after rainwater submerged the Sarasara and Patang bridges near Balang in Bonai.

Meanwhile, CS Padhi, the engineer in chief of the water resources department, said that there was no flood threat in any river, though there had been heavy rain in the basis of rivers like Subarnarekha, Jalaka, Budhabalang, and Baitarani in north Odisha and other places in the southern parts of the state.

Padhi said the water level at Hirakud and other reservoirs are rising, but no river has so far reported a flood like situation.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the district administrations are put on alert based on the IMD forecast.

Director of Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, Manorama Mohanty said, “We have issued a red warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall in the districts of Sundergarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur and Deogarh, and an orange warning of heavy rainfall in 8 districts of Nabarngpur, Koraput, Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Angul and Keonjhar.” This apart, all other districts will receive rain by 8.30 am of Wednesday, Mohanty said, adding that squally wind speed reaching 30kmph to 40 kmph with gusting 50 kmph will be experienced at many coastal districts. The IMD in a statement said that a low-pressure area has formed over the northwest Bay of Bengal at 5.30 am on September 2. It is likely to become more marked over the same region during the next 24 hours. PTI AAM RG AAM NN