BERHAMPUR: A youth identified as A. Srinivas Kumar (23) from Mankadajhola village, was swept away in the floodwaters of Nagavali river on Wednesday. The incident occurred when Srinivas and his mother went to the river to immerse Lord Ganesh's idol at Chekaguda bridge near Rayagada town. As the son slipped into the river, fire brigade personnel were pressed into service but Srinivas could not be located.
Intense spells of rain, triggered by a low-pressure system, have continued to disrupt normal life in several parts of southern districts. Authorities overseeing water reservoirs, including Bhanjanagar, Ghidahada, and Bahuda, have already announced plans to release water if water levels increase, which could pose challenges for low-lying areas.
The heavy rains have led to damage to several houses in Rayagada, Kandhamal, and Gajapati districts, with culverts at multiple locations being washed away. In a worrying incident, the walls of a hostel in Gangabada, under the Rayagada block of Gajapati district, collapsed on Tuesday night. Thankfully, all 40 students residing in the hostel were unharmed and relocated to a safer location.
In Ganjam district, tragedy struck during the downpour on Tuesday with two persons including a woman losing their lives, and four others sustaining critical injuries in lightning in separate incidents in Sanakhemundi and Patrapur blocks.The flood-like situation created in the region since Tuesday normalised today with rain subsiding. All the rivers and nullas are swollen but flowing under the warning level.