BHAWANIPATNA: Torrential rains and flash floods have wreaked havoc throughout Kalahandi district in Odisha. Major rivers of Hati, Tel, Sagada, Nagavalli and Bansadhara are in spate and other smaller rivers are swelling.
While villages under seven blocks are cut-off from the mainstream with river water flowing above the roads, incessant rainfall has badly affected Bhawanipatna town leaving several low-lying neighbourhoods inundated.
According to official reports, Talmala, Balichada, Biripur and Bhelagaon villages under Kalampur block have been inundated due to flash floods in Hati river. Low-lying areas and paddy fields in Talmala, Sahajkana, Mankadsola under Junagarh block have been submerged.
Road link between Junagarh and Chicheguda besides Kuruguda and Nandol has been snapped as roads are submerged with water from Hati river. Similarly, three-feet water from Halerjore is flowing over the road connecting Junagarh with Dharamgarh.
Block and tehsil officials of Kalampur block have rushed to low-lying areas of Balichada and Matikhal to shift people from marooned areas to safer places.
To control flood in Hati river, power generation in Indravati Project has been stopped since Sunday night. Two gates of Mangalpur barrage of Indravati have been opened to release water into Hati.
Two gates of Ret Medium Irrigation Project were opened on Monday to release flood waters. The water level at present stands at 5.690 hectare metre as against reservoir capacity of 6,438 hectare metre.
The maximum 368 mm rainfall has been recorded in Thuamul Rampur, 157 mm in Bhawanipatna, 218.2 mm in Kalampur, 182 mm in Jaipatna, 144 mm in Junagarh and 182.4 mm in Lanjigarh in the last 24 hours ending at 8 am on Monday.