JAJPUR: Amid heavy rainfall, a bridge over swollen Dudhei nullah collapsed due to strong water flow at Hasanpur village under Sujanpur panchayat in Jajpur block on Thursday.
The bridge collapsed as its parapet and connecting road were reportedly damaged due to the pressure from the fast-moving water in Dudhei nullah, a branch of Kharasrota river. As a result, nearly 30,000 people of Jajpur and Bari blocks who depend on the bridge for communication, were affected.
Sources said Hasanpur, Durgapur and eight other villages have also been cut off from the mainland due to the collapse of the 15-metre bridge which was constructed under Biju Setu Yojana in 2014.
Jajpur has been experiencing heavy rains due to the low pressure formed over the Bay of Bengal for the past two days, leading to an increased water flow in rivers and nullahs across the district. Official sources said Jajpur has received 190 mm rainfall in the past two days. The district recorded around 100 mm rain on Wednesday and 90 mm rainfall on Thursday.
Meanwhile, due to the incessant rains, Baitarani river is experiencing its third flood in the past three months. “The heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas of Baitarani has caused a significant rise in water level due to which the river is experiencing another flood. The river is flowing 0.6 metre above the danger mark at Akhuapada,” said a district official.
On Thursday evening, Baitarani was flowing at 18. 39 metre against the danger mark of 18.33 metre at Akhuapada. Official sources said the water level of the river is on the rise and the district administration is keeping a close watch on the situation.