Heavy rain wreaked havoc across Odisha causing loss of lives and damage to road infrastructures on August 20.
Five persons including three minors died in separate incidences of wall collapse, road communications have been snapped and thousands of acres of crop have gone down under floodwater.
Two sisters died in Bisoi Block of Mayurbhanj district when wall of their home fell on them. Their parents have been admitted to hospital in critical condition. A student identified as Priyansu Rajabhadra (9 year) in PHD Colony of Koraput town died while wall of his bathroom collapsed. There were reports of wall collapse death in Balasore and Keonjhar dtricts.
Heavy rain lashed northern Odisha districts of Mayurbhanj and Balasore affecting normal life. Bhogarai in Balasore district received highest 226mm rainfall followed by 211mm rainfall at Phiringia in Kandhamal and 196.4mm at Nawana in Mayurbhhanj district.
According to India Meteorological Department, Odisha, two places received extremely heavy rain while 27 IMD stations recorded very heavy rainfall in Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts.
“The deep depression over coastal areas of West Bengal and adjoining north Odisha moved west-northwestwards during past six hours with a speed of 18KM per hour and lay centred south Jharkhand and adjoining North Odisha and West Bengal near about 40KM south-southwest of Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), about 120KM, southeast of Ranchi (Jharkhand) and 220KM east-northeast of Jharsuguda (Odisha),” says IMD bulletin.
The atmospheric system would continue to move west-northwestwards across Jharkhand and adjoining north Odisha and North Chhattisgarh towards north Madhya Pradesh during next 24 hours and weaken gradually.
A bridge was swept away in Kandhamal district disrupting vehicular movement between Kurtamgarh and Pariguda. Similarly, hundreds of vehicles were stranded as water was flowing over the road connecting Athagarh and Angul and a busy road between Brahamagiri and Kanas in Puri district was affected by floodwater.
Meanwhile, the State government authorities in Bhubaneswar anticipate heavy rain in Chhattisgarh, which could send Mahanadi in spate again.
