JEYPORE/KORAPUT: Continuous heavy rains across Koraput district have brought normal life to a grinding halt, with reports of damage to property pouring in from various parts of the region. In the last 12 days, a staggering 373 houses have been damaged, and further loss is anticipated after a thorough assessment by revenue officials, said district emergency officer Gyanajeet Tripathi.
The district has recorded 949 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, the highest of the season.
In Dasmantpur block, the villages of Tobajodi, Sisikudi, and Madhubisi are isolated from the outside world. Similarly, in Nandapur block, the Sarbaput and Bispur villages in Hikimput panchayat are cut off due to rainwater overflowing on the roads.
The situation in Chatwa panchayat is dire, with the Kudikhal bridge and road submerged under 5 to 6 feet of rainwater. Ranginiguda village of Nandaka panchayat, Umaigadi, Devasandhguda of Raising panchayat, and Upper Kandapalli and Lower Kandapalli of Chatwa panchayat are currently living under water due to the overflowing river.
Nandapur tehsildar Anadi Charan Sahu informed that a total of 32 houses have been damaged so far. Immediate assistance in the form of polythene sheets has been provided, and financial aid of Rs 5,000 paid to 11 affected persons.
As the rains persist, emergency response teams, block and revenue administrations in Jeypore, Kotpad, Kundra, and Borigumma are on high alert, working tirelessly to provide relief and ensure the safety of the affected population.
Sources indicate that normal traffic flow in both rural and urban areas has been severely affected for the second consecutive day. Landslides have been reported near rural roads in Boipariguda, Ramagiri, Nandapur and Koraput.
Long-route vehicles are stranded between Kotpad and Sunki on NH-26, which connects Visakhapatnam and Raipur, due to incessant rains throughout the day.
Several villages in Kotpad, Boipariguda, Lamataput, Kundra, and Jeypore have been cut off from their block headquarters as streams overflowed onto rural roads. Additionally, knee-deep water is flooding crop fields along the banks of the Kolab, Indravati, Surli, and Telingiri rivers and their tributaries.
In Jeypore town, stagnant rainwater has caused flooding on roads near NKT Road, Jayanagar and Christinapeta areas.
“Our officials are on alert across the district, monitoring the rains. Efforts are underway to clear all reported landslides to restore road communication as soon as possible,” said Tripathy. The situation is expected to improve once the rains subside, he added.