MALKANGIRI: Rain continued to unleash its fury on Malkangiri where communication on NH-326 was once again disrupted on Monday.
As rainwater started flowing over bridges at MV-90, MV-96 and Kangrukonda, communication between Malkangiri and Kalimela, Motu and Andhra Pradesh was disrupted. However, communication between Malkangiri town and Andhra Pradesh was restored in the morning. Similarly, communication to other places of the district was restored on the day.
RDC southern division RS Gopalan accompanied by collector Sachin Pawar visited the bridges at MV-90 and Potteru and took stock of the situation on the day. Except Kangrukonda and MV-90 on NH-326, water has receded from all the bridges and road communication restored, they said.
A total of 153 people have been evacuated from Malkangiri and Kalimela and shifted to various shelter houses, Pawar said. Assessment of damage to crop will be made after rain subsides. A total of 95 houses have either been partially or fully damaged across the district. While the highest 30 houses have been damaged in Chitrakonda block, 29 have been damaged in Kalimela, nine in Mathili and seven in Khairput.
However details of losses can be accessed only after rain subsides, the collector said, adding polythene sheets are being given to those whose houses have been damaged. He said the administration is keeping a close watch on the situation in Motu as water level in Saveri river is likely to rise after it happens in Godavari. The district received 23.85 mm rain from 8 am to 6 pm on the day.
Besides, the district has received an average rainfall of 82.7 mm during the last 24 hours. Block-wise distribution of rainfall shows Chitrakonda received the highest 164.5 mm rain followed by Podia (97.4 mm), Malkangiri (86.8 mm), Korukonda (83 mm), Kalimela (71.2 mm), Mathili (41.0 mm) and Khairput (35 mm).
Similarly, Balimela dam at Chitrakonda received 127 mm rainfall followed by Satiguda dam at 24 mm during the last 24 hours. In Balimela dam, the water level was rising gradually and stood at 1,464.50 feet against the full reservoir level of 1,516 feet.
The water level in Satiguda reservoir stood at 188.60 metre against the full reservoir level of 192.63 metre.
Meanwhile, landslide at two places on the 5 km stretch of road between Oringi and Bayapada in Korukonda snapped communication to the block. After minor repairs, two-wheelers plied on the road with difficulty and full-fledged communication can be restored once the rain subsides, superintendent engineer of Rural Development department Sujit Behera told The New Indian Express.