South Odisha: Due to the deep depression in the Bay of Bengal, many areas of South Odisha are receiving continuous heavy rains. After the situation deteriorated in many districts including Koraput, Gajapati and Ganjam, the administration has evacuated more than 2 thousand people from sensitive areas to safe places. Rain has affected normal life in at least 15 districts.
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Due to rain in Koraput, low lying areas were flooded. About 160 people were evacuated from two panchayats of Kotpad area as a precautionary measure. In Gajapati too, about 1,300 people were sent to temporary relief camps. Due to continuous rains, incidents of landslides, road blockage and damage to kutcha houses have been reported here.
Major accident averted due to falling of tree in Koraput
A huge tree fell on National Highway-26 in Koraput city. A car got hit by it and the traffic towards Visakhapatnam and Raipur was affected for some time. In Ganjam too, incidents of closure of roads and damage to houses due to rain have been reported.
The effect of rain is clearly visible on the roads also. The Kalinga Ghat stretch of NH-157 between Ganjam and Kandhamal has been closed for two days in view of the danger of landslides. In many areas, traffic has been affected due to mountain debris and boulders falling on the roads.
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About 194 mm rain in Semiliguda in 24 hours
According to the Meteorological Department, rain in South Odisha still remains a cause of concern. Semiliguda in Koraput recorded 193.9 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours. The weather system is currently over South Odisha and North Coastal Andhra Pradesh and is expected to gradually weaken.
The government has deployed 33 ODRAF teams for relief and rescue. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has directed officials to give priority to people's safety and keep a constant eye on sensitive areas. According to the state government, at present the weather system has not been declared a cyclone.