SAMBALPUR : Western Odisha heaved a sigh of relief as cyclonic storm Hud Hud failed to cause any damage in the region on Sunday. Overcast condition and slight breeze marked the day after Hud Hud made landfall at Visakhapatnam around noon.
The weather condition brought cheer among farmers of the region who were worried over their standing crops being affected by the cyclone. Till evening, there was no report of heavy rain.
The day started with clear sky before overcast condition prevailed. Instances of slight drizzle were reported throughout the day. The situation was almost same in Sambalpur, Balangir, Nuapada, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Sonepur and Boudh districts.
It was apprehended that the cyclone triggered rain would cause extensive damage to vegetable crops besides leading to discolouration of paddy. But the mild rain that continued throughout the day seems to have come as a blessing for the farmers who began cultivation late in view of deficit rainfall. The farmers in non-irrigated areas now stand to gain as the paddy crop in those region was in urgent need of irrigation.
When contacted, Deputy Director of Agriculture, Sambalpur Ashok Mohanty said the intermittent shower will not have any impact on standing crop. Rather, it would help paddy and vegetable crops. Hoping that there would be no further rain, he said had the region experienced heavy wind and shower, it would have resulted in enormous loss to the farmers.
Meanwhile, 10 sluice gates of Hirakud dam reservoir, which were opened to release water and create cushioning space, have been closed. The water level in the reservoir dipped to 624.8 feet against the full capacity of 630 feet at 6 pm. With the inflow into the reservoir likely to increase due to heavy rain predicted in catchment areas upstream in Chhattisgarh, the dam authorities have created enough cushioning space to prevent flood situation downstream.