Bhubaneswar: As heavy rain triggered by a deep depression continued to batter southern Odisha on Wednesday, normal life was disrupted across the region and over 5,000 people were evacuated from vulnerable areas.
Incessant downpour disrupted road communication in several parts of southern Odisha with water flowing over bridges and leaving vehicles stranded.
In Koraput district, around three feet of water was reportedly flowing over the bridge near Damjodi village under Nandigaon panchayat in Dasmantpur block. Vehicles have been stranded on both sides of the bridge, leaving passengers stuck for a long time.
This apart, water has accumulated over the bridge near Haridaphut under Pindapadar panchayat of the district following incessant rain. The rising water levels in several hill streams flowing near villages have raised concerns among residents.
Gajapati district, which has several landslide-prone pockets, was among the areas placed on heightened alert. District collector Akshay Sunil Agarwal said pregnant women, elderly residents and others from vulnerable locations had been moved to cyclone shelters and temporary relief camps as a precaution. Authorities are also providing cooked meals to those shifted.
The administration has identified 140 locations susceptible to landslides and is monitoring them closely, Agarwal said.
The weather system brought a sharp increase in rainfall across Odisha, where showers had begun a day earlier. Semiliguda in Koraput recorded 230mm of rain in the 24 hours ending at 8.30am on Wednesday, the highest in the state during the period. Jeypore, also in Koraput, received 161mm, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
More than 16 locations recorded over 100mm of rainfall, according to the official.
In a special bulletin, the IMD said the deep depression was centred about 50km southeast of Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, 120km east-northeast of Visakhapatnam, 150km south of Gopalpur and 240km south-southwest of Puri.
The downpour has already triggered disruptions in several districts. Officials reported rainwater entering homes, uprooted trees, collapsed houses and muddy water rushing down hills in Ganjam, Gajapati, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada and Nabarangpur.
With the weather system approaching the coast, authorities in vulnerable districts have stepped up monitoring and evacuation measures to limit the impact of further heavy rain.
The IMD has warned of light to moderate rainfall in most places, with heavy to very heavy rainfall in a few areas, and extremely heavy rainfall in isolated places in southern Odisha on Wednesday and Thursday. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely in isolated places in the state on Friday and Saturday.
The weather office on Wednesday issued a ‘red alert’ (take action) for Kalahandi, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts, where over 20 cm of rainfall is expected in the next 24 hours.
A similar red warning has been issued for Nabarangpur district for Thursday. Several districts in southern and coastal regions have been put under an ‘orange’ warning (be prepared), forecasting 12-20 cm of rainfall.
Under the influence of the system, squally weather conditions will prevail, with wind speed reaching 55-65 kmph till Thursday evening. The weather office has asked fishermen not to venture into the sea till Thursday evening.
In view of the approaching system, the state government has also mobilised 33 teams of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) to deal with any emerging exigency.
According to the IMD, the deep depression is a weather system which is more intense than a low-pressure area and less than a cyclonic storm.
The state government has, meanwhile, ordered the closure of educational institutions and Anganwadi centres in 10 districts. Leaves of government officials have been cancelled and they have been asked to remain in the headquarters in view of the impending situation.
Hospitals in vulnerable areas have been instructed to stock adequate emergency medicines, and authorities concerned have been asked to shift pregnant women from low-lying areas to nearby community health centres (CHCs) or Maa Gruhas for their safety.