BHUBANESWAR: Malkangiri reeled under a deluge as the depression-induced rains pounded the district, sending rivers in spate and leaving communication snapped. The State Government moved in Rapid Action Force and rescue teams to locate people in distress in two blocks of the district, which were the most affected. With the southernmost district recording an average 320 mm rain in the last two days, Poteru river was in spate. Road connectivity was cut off as flood water overtopped the bridges at many places. Villages in Kalimela and Korukunda were marooned while telecommunication was affected.
However, the intensity of rain dropped on Sunday and situation showed signs of an improvement as communication along Jeypore and Malkangiri road was restored after flood water receded from Pangam and Saptadhara bridges.
Similarly, vehicular traffic from Malkangiri to Motu and Balimela also resumed. However, restoration of Kalimela-Padia road will take time since it was still under flood water.
Two units of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and a unit from OSAP 3rd Battalion from Koraput with equipment have been mobilised to Malkangiri to assist the administration in rescue and relief operations, the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) said. Similarly, a team of 99 fire fighters were moved with power boats, mechanical saws and inflatable tower lights.
The district administration provided dry food to villagers who had taken shelter at different places. Free kitchens were also opened at many places.
However, Malkangiri was not the only district to have been battered by the rains as life was hit in other districts. Nabarangpur received 142 mm rain followed by Koraput (84 mm), Gajapati (76 mm), Rayagada (75 mm) and both Kalahandi and Ganjam (71 mm). Jharigaon in Nabarangpur reported 330 mm rain, the highest in the State in the last 24 hours. However, there was no report of any damage in the region.
With the depression gradually weakening and moving over to north-western Odisha, the intensity of rainfall abated and shifted from southern pockets. Interior places such as Dasapalla received 84 mm rain on the day followed by 54 mm at Balangir, 34 mm in Ranapur and 20 mm at Sonepur.
The weather office said the depression was located 110 km south-east of Sambalpur and was moving in north-western direction, weakening gradually, on its way. It is predicted to oscillate over Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh regions and induce rains.
“Since another system has formed over the Arabian Sea, to the south of Guajarat, on the same latitude, the depression lost its energy quickly. However, showers will continue and cloudy conditions will prevail till June 24-25,” Director, India Meteorological Department, Odisha, S C Sahu said.
The weather system, meanwhile, has ensured that south-west monsoon covered the entire State.
