BHUBANESWAR: Incessant rains, induced by low pressure in the Bay of Bengal, have wreaked havoc in the state snapping road connectivity, and damaging kutchha houses in multiple districts on Thursday.
Around 28 students of Kilupada village in Sindrigaon panchayat of Kandhamal district had a narrow escape after a portion of a classroom wall in the primary school of their village collapsed in the torrential downpour.
As per reports, the students were outside the classroom during the time of the incident.
A bridge over the Salunki river in the district has also remained submerged due to flooding, affecting vehicular movement from Nadikhanda to Dakapala.
In Malkangiri, the over-topping of the MV 96 bridge along NH 326 has led to the snapping of road communication between Malkangiri and Motu.
Similarly, around 40-odd villages in Baipariguda, Nandapur and Dasamantpur blocks of Koraput have remained cut off from the mainland due to overflowing streams and damage to roads in the district.
Officials said an alert has been issued to around 30 riverside villages in Kotpad, Borigumma and Kundra blocks due to the swelling of the Surli, Indravati and Kolab rivers.
Sources said the Matchkund hydel project in the district has also been partially hit due to a technical snag following heavy rain since last night.
Keeping in view the torrential rain, the Balangir district administration announced the shutdown of all schools and anganwadi centres in the district till Friday morning.
“The decision was taken in view of the extremely heavy rainfall alert issued by the IMD and office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC),” stated the order of the district collector.
The Balangir block recorded the highest rainfall of 215 mm in the State in the last 24 hours. IMD officials said 22 more blocks in the state also recorded rainfall of 100mm and above in this period.
The average rainfall recorded in the State in this period was 49.3 mm. Jagatsinghpur district recorded the highest rainfall of 125.9 mm followed by 88.2 mm in Kalahandi, 74.1 mm in Balangir, 72.5 mm in Boudh, 69 mm in Kendrapara and 64 mm in Kandhamal.
As per government reports, rains affected 23 blocks across 3 blocks in Kandhamal district, 22 villages across 8 blocks in Koraput district and 10 villages across 3 blocks in Malkangiri district. Close to 120 kutchaa houses were also damaged due to heavy rain in these three districts.
Heavy rainfall is expected to continue in parts of the State for another 48 hours in view of the low pressure and associated cyclonic circulation that may move across Odisha and Chhattisgarh in the next two days, said a weather scientist from the Met centre in Bhubaneswar.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu asked the districts under alert to keep administrative machinery ready for any possible eventuality.
He asked the district collectors to immediately restrict the plying of vehicles in the event of any disruption in road connectivity.
The district administrations were also asked to distribute polythene sheets in cases where damage to Kutcha houses has been reported. They have also been asked to shift people from low-lying areas to safer locations temporarily, in the event of heavy rains.
Fire services personnel and discom officials have also been kept on alert for road clearance and power restoration work, wherever needed, while urban local bodies have been directed to ensure de-congestion of drains and stormwater channels as well as keep adequate de-watering pumps in areas vulnerable to water-logging.
As per the report of the SRC office, all major rivers except Vansadhara were flowing below the danger level till 9 a.m. The water level of Vansadhara was at 54.85 metres against the danger level of 54.60 metres at Kashinagar.