BHAWANIPATNA: Torrential rains in the last 24 hours have wreaked havoc in Kalahandi district. Several villages were cut off from the mainstream due to overflowing rivers while roads in low lying areas were either inundated or damaged on Saturday. Swollen Hati, Sagada and Udanti rivers have cut off Kalampur, Jaipatna, Thuamul Rampur and M Rampur blocks, inundating many villages.
According to reports, Bhawanipatna has received 114 mm rainfall, Narla 212 mm, Kesinga 237 mm, M Rampur 199 mm, Thuamul Rampur 288 mm, Junagarh 256 mm, Kalampur 200 mm and Jaipatna got 210 mm rainfall since Friday morning.
Water level in Hati river has been rising as water from five gates of Indravati project’s Mangalpur barrage is being released into the river. As a result of this, 17 villages under Jaipatna block have been marooned.
Overflowing water from Indravati right canal has flooded Sector 2 of Mukhiguda and till filing of this report, rain water was flowing two feet above Mangalpur- Dhansuli Road. When water gushed in, 60 families of Sindaguda village took shelter in a hillock.
They came down on Saturday to collect relief from block officials. In Kalampur block, flood water of Hati entered Biripur, Matikhal, Balichada and Temra villages. In Junagarh block, low lying areas of Mankadsola, Kendupati and Dasigaon villages were inundated.Similar was the plight of Junagarh town where low lying areas and agriculture fields in the periphery were submerged by Hati river. Flood water of Udanti submerged agriculture fields in Dangriguda of Golamunda block and Dumria, Salepada, Artal, Paikpada under Bhawanipatna block. Similarly, Thuamul Rampur block has been cut off from the district headquarters town and Nakrundi and Kerpai gram panchayat are cut off from block headquarters due to flood in Sagada, Nagavali and different rivulets.
Flood water of Nagavali is flowing four feet above the bridge near Kachlekha disrupting vehicular communication to Kerpai gram panchayat. Due to flash flood in Sagada river, Khadkanala and Hardajore, road link to Thuamul Rampur block from Bhawanipatna has been disrupted.Vehicular communication was hit on Saturday morning between Thuamul Rampur and Kalampur due to landslide in Singarighat. By noon, the road link was temporarily restored.
In M Rampur block, 20 students of Madanpur Adarsha school were returning home on cycles when they were stranded at Damkarkhunta village due to overflowing Damkarlakhunta nullah. The children were provided shelter and food in Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendra in the village.Block administration of Junagarh provided relief to 860 persons. The breach at Bhatrajore minor irrigation project in Junagarh block, which affected Bhatrajore and Bharuagura villagers, was repaired temporarily.