UMERKOTE: Incessant heavy rainfall over the past two days has triggered flash floods in Nabarangpur, leaving one person dead and causing widespread destruction across the district.
Water levels in major rivers including Bhandar, Tel, Borehi, Kukur Jor, Sukha and Chikili rivers have risen to unprecedented levels following the continuous downpour, leading to flash floods in several blocks.
A 59-year-old man of Bhendia village under Chandahandi block was reportedly swept away while crossing Borehi river on Saturday night. The deceased was identified as Balabhadra Gouda. Sources said he was transporting fertilisers to his farmland when the incident took place. Search and rescue operations are underway, but he remained missing till reports last came in.
Jharigaon block was also affected by flooding and extensive road damage. A 20-foot section of the approach road and a retaining wall along the Chikili river in Kutrichhapar panchayat were completely washed away while several trees were uprooted.
A 10-foot stretch of the road and a culvert connecting Karlamal with Kebidi and Barapani were also swept away, severing connectivity to more than eight villages. Traffic along the Jharigaon-Dabugaon route came to a complete standstill after an under-construction approach road near Ramsa village was damaged and floodwaters overflowed on Phupagaon bridge. Knee-deep water was also reported on key connecting roads isolating several villages under Chacha panchayat.
Floodwaters inundated homes in Badatemera and Banuaguda panchayats, ITDA Colony and Kangra village as the Chikana river overflowed. Several houses collapsed in Siramaguda while thousands of acres of farmland across the district remain submerged, raising concerns over extensive crop losses.
In Dabugaon block, heavy rainfall disrupted vehicular movement along state highway-39 at Jatabal. The downpour also affected normal life in Nandahandi, Tentulikhunti and Kosagumuda blocks with knee-deep water reported in several areas.
At Mokia in Papdahandi block, rainwater entered several houses, prompting evacuation of around 70 people to the the local cyclone shelter where they are being provided cooked food. A red alert was issued at Badamasigaon following heavy rainfall, and more than 70 people were shifted to a cyclone shelter and provided cooked food.
Nabarangpur collector Maheswar Swain ordered closure of all schools, colleges and anganwadi centres across the district on Monday. “All field staff have been directed to visit villages and assess the extent of damage. The district administration remains fully alert to handle any situation,” he said.
The collector informed that Nandahandi, Tentulikhunti and Nabarangpur blocks recorded 165 mm of rainfall within 24 hours. Other blocks also received heavy rainfall, leading to widespread waterlogging.