Bhubaneswar, September 24: More than 8,000 people were evacuated from vulnerable areas of Odisha as heavy rain lashed several southern districts under the influence of a deep depression that made landfall in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh on Thursday, officials said.
With the possibility of floods and landslides looming over the region, the state government deployed senior ministers to affected districts to oversee relief and preparedness measures.
Panchayati Raj Minister Rabi Narayan Naik was sent to Koraput, while Fisheries Minister Gokulananda Mallik was deputed to Gajapati. As the situation evolved, Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jenaand School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond were asked to visit Ganjam and Nabarangpur, respectively.
Jena was scheduled to reach Ganjam on Thursday evening, while Gond would travel to Nabarangpur on Friday after attending Question Hour in the Assembly, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said.
Four senior officers were also sent to the affected districts to monitor relief and rescue operations and assess the damage, Pujari said.
According to the minister, six districts —Ganjam, Gajapati, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada and Nabarangpur— had been affected by the weather system.
The ruling BJP has also asked its MLAs from vulnerable constituencies to visit their respective areas and coordinate with the local administration, Pujari said.
Emphasising Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s directive to ensure “zero casualty”, Pujari said 8,082 people had been evacuated by Thursday noon, with the operation continuing.
“District collectors have been asked to shift people from vulnerable and waterlogging-prone areas,” he said.
The minister said the overall situation remained under control, although reports of uprooted trees, landslides, waterlogging, road blockades and rainwater flowing over roads emerged from several affected districts.
There were no reports of injuries or casualties so far, Pujari said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD)warned that rainfall intensity could increase as the deep depression was expected to enter Odisha near Koraput on Thursday evening. Heavy rainfall is likely to continue for the next two days.
The IMD recorded an average of 70 mm of rainfall across Odisha in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Thursday. Semiliguda in Koraput district recorded the highest rainfall at193.9 mm, while at least 17 locations received more than 100 mm, according to IMD sources.
The weather office issued a Red alert for Nabarangpur, forecasting more than 20 cm of rainfall over the next 24 hours and advising authorities to take necessary action.
An orange alert was issued for Bargarh, Nuapada, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Koraput and Malkangiri, where rainfall of 12-20 cm was forecast.
A yellow alert was issued for Balasore, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Subarnapur, Boudh, Kandhamal and Rayagada, with rainfall of 7-11 cm likely.
The Water Resources Department said it had intensified night patrolling and field-level monitoring at key locations across the state.
Engineering officials and field staff were keeping a close watch on critical water infrastructure, while water levels in the Jalaka and Budhabalang rivers in Balasore district were reported to be rising.
The IMD also warned of squally weather along the coast, with wind speeds reaching up to 70 kmph, and advised fishermen not to venture into the sea until Friday morning.
Bridges Submerged in Malkangiri
In Malkangiri, 4-5 feet of rainwater was flowing over four low-level bridges —Poteru, Kangurukonda, Kanyashram and MV-90— on National Highway 326, disrupting road connectivity.
Vehicular movement along the Malkangiri-Motu highway was completely halted, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded on both sides of the submerged bridges.
Communication to Kalimela, Motu and Padia blocks was also disrupted. Officials said the bridge on the Malkangiri-Chhattisgarh road was submerged as well.
Water levels in the Balimela, Satiguda and Jalaput reservoirs also rose following the heavy rainfall.
The Balimela-Chitrakonda ghat road was closed because of strong water flow through an upper nala and the risk of landslides, officials said.
Heavy Rain in Koraput
Koraput also received heavy rainfall over the past 24 hours, although officials said there were no reports of casualties, injuries or major traffic disruptions.
Trees were uprooted at several locations in Borigumma, Narayanpatna and Pottangi, prompting fire personnel and ODRAF teams to clear roads.
“Presently, the situation is under control and officials have been kept on high alert to prevent any untoward incident. Traffic movement has not been affected in any part of the district,” Koraput Collector Manoj Satyawan Mahajan said.
Minister Rabi Narayan Naik also held a meeting with district officials and reviewed the preparedness and response measures in view of the continuing rainfall.
