BHUBANESWAR: All it took to expose the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation’s monsoon preparedness was a measly 10.8 mm rainfall in the city on Sunday evening. Several major roads of the State capital were inundated even as the downpour lasted a few minutes. The service roads in front of Iskcon temple, Bomikhal, Saheed Nagar and other areas were waterlogged.
A video of a man and a woman trying to push their car, stranded on the waterlogged road in front of Iskcon temple spoke volumes of the effectiveness of the city’s drainage system. Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre scientist, Umasankar Das said the rainfall activity on the day occurred under the influence of the trough running from north-east Bihar to south coastal Odisha across north-east Jharkhand and gangetic West Bengal.
However, despite the sporadic downpours in the last few days, Odisha has received 18 per cent less rainfall than the average in the last one month. The State received 209.3 mm rainfall from June 1 to July 4 and 14 of its districts recorded deficit rainfall during the period. While Bhadrak received 57 per cent deficit rainfall during the period, Jajpur recorded 46 per cent and Keonjhar 45 per cent.
Meanwhile, other parts of the State too witnessed rains on the day. While Titlagarh received 54 mm rainfall, Chhatrapur recorded 32.6 mm, Angul and Koraput 22 mm each, and Balangir 18 mm between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm on the day.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued thunderstorms with lightning warnings for a few places in the State in the next four days and heavy rainfall at isolated places on July 7 and 8. Thunderstorm with lightning is likely to occur at one or two places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam and nine other districts on Monday.