BHUBANESWAR: Over 19.53 lakh people of 11 districts in the State have been affected while three persons have reportedly died due to heavy rainfall in the last three days under the impact of a deep depression over Bay of Bengal which crossed Odisha coast near Chandbali on Monday morning, September 13, 2021.
The downpour, which hit 53 blocks, inundated low lying areas in coastal districts. As a result, the administration had to evacuate over 3,800 people.
As per preliminary report, three persons including two in Kendrapara district and one in Khurda died due to the rains. The report said Khambeswar Patsani, a 29-year-old man of Nuagad panchayat under Tangi block in Khurda district, died after drowning in a canal. Similarly, two persons - Narmada Sahu (62) of Benipur in Derabis block and Abhay Mohapatra (68) of Badabetara village under Garadpur block in Kendrapara district - died due to wall collapse.
According to the situation report released by the office of Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), heavy rains have also severely affected 14 urban local bodies including Bhubaneswar and Cuttack municipal corporations. As many as 265 houses have been damaged in 11 districts. Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara have been worst affected by the rains. While more than 11.36 lakh people have been affected in Jagastinghpur district, the incessant rains have hit more than 7.7 lakh people in Kendrapara. The report said over 15,400 people of Puri district have been affected.
While 1,590 and 1,584 people have been evacuated in Jagatsinghpur and Puri districts respectively, the administration has shifted 532 people to safer places in Kendrapara. As per the report, 106 people of a village in Cuttack district were marooned. They have also been shifted to a safe place. Road communication has been disrupted in several coastal districts because of the rainfall.
While seven roads have been cut off in Jagatsinghpur district, six were submerged or cut off in Kendrapara. SRC PK Jena reviewed the situation at a high-level meeting virtually with district collectors of rain affected areas. The collectors will submit a final report on the damage after the rains stop.