JEYPORE: The South Odisha districts of Koraput and Nabarangpur experienced heavy rains on Friday. Around 50 mm rainfall has been recorded in the last 24 hours in Koraput. The district faced incessant rainfall for four days last week but the weather had remained clear in the last two days.
While roads and culverts damaged from last week’s rain are yet to be repaired, fresh rainfall snapped communication to villages in Kundra, Dasmantpur, Boipariguda, Kotpad, Borrigumma, Laxmipur, Potangi, Nandapur and Lamataput blocks and brought normal life to a grinding halt. Many rural roads were submerged in rain water. Around 200 culverts, rural roads and 300 thatched houses were damaged in last week’s rain in both Jeypore and Koraput sub-divisions.
On the other hand, rainfall has facilitated agriculture works in Jeypore, Kundra, Borrigumma, Kotpad and Boipariguda with farmers completing transplantation of paddy saplings in 70 per cent of the total cultivable land in the district. Paddy sowing was delayed for 20 days due to scanty rainfall in June and first week of July.
Water level in Upper Kolab dam reservoir was 849 metre on Friday against 846 metre last week. Rise in water level will help in irrigation and power generation, Kolab project authorities said. The district administration, meanwhile, has asked block officials and tehsildars to remain alert. Officials in Borrigumma and Kotpad blocks have been asked to ensure that people staying close to the banks of Indravati river are rescued immediately if water level of the river rises. Flood fear also looms large in four blocks of Nabarangpur district following heavy rainfall in catchment areas of Indravati river.
District administration has sounded an alarm in blocks of Kosagumuda, Nabarangpur, Nandahandi and Tentulikhunti as water level of Indravati and its tributaries is rising. Many villages in these blocks have been cut off as rain water is flowing above roads and culverts. Vehicular traffic from Nabarangpur to neighbouring Kalahandi and Koraput districts was also snapped on the day.
Last week, at least 5,000 people of 10 villages under Kosagumuda block were marooned due to heavy rains. Flood water gushed into villages of Dubuluhandi, Ghat Bansuli, Ghat Guda, Padei Guda, Jaganiguda, Bhtraguda, Chirma, Alupadar and Galia in the block. As the Met department has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next two days, all block officials have been asked to remain alert.
Many villages in Kosagumuda, Nabarangpur, Nandahandi and Tentulikhunti blocks have been cut off as rain water is flowing above roads and culverts. Vehicular traffic from Nabarangpur to neighbouring Kalahandi and Koraput districts was also snapped on the dayDistrict officials