No Flood Situation In Odisha As Yet: SRC

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Sunday said that there was no threat of flood in any district of Odisha.

“Though the water level in some rivers is on the rise, none has reached the danger mark. The district collectors have been instructed to keep a close watch on the water level of the rivers,” Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethy told mediapersons here.

He, however, informed about the death of a person of Kalamati village in Sambalpur district, who was swept away by floodwater, while another had died of snakebite in Tarava block of Sonepur district.

Stating that heavy rain had inundated some areas in the state, the SCR said while heavy rain lashed the state on Saturday, the intensity decreased on Sunday.

Referring to the forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) about heavy to very heavy rainfall in Bargarh, Sambalpur, Boudh, Sonepur, Angul and Kandhamal districts on Sunday, Sethy said Burla has recorded the highest rainfall of 622 mm in the last 24 hours.

Talking about the situation in Sambalpur, he said the city in the last 24 hours has recorded 490 mm rainfall.

“Due to the torrential rain since the last two days, 12 wards in the city with a population of 1.25 lakh have been affected. A total of 726 houses have been damaged while the 326 families in these wards rescued and shifted to 34 temporary shelters. They have been provided with dry foods. The district collector and local BJD MLA Raseswari Panigrahi are monitoring the rescue and relief operations,” the SRC added.

He further said that the district administration has provided two toll-free numbers—0663-2412407 and 1077— and requested the people in the affected wards to inform about their inconveniences.

Reports said that the people in the low-lying areas of Sambalpur city and its outskirts in Burla and Hirakud have been marooned by the rainwater.

Meanwhile, a possible flood situation is looming large in Sonepur district which has been witnessing heavy rainfall since the last two days.

Road communication from Sonepur to Redhakol and Boudh has been disrupted due to overflowing of rainwater at a height of about 9 feet on a bridge over Bauri Nullah near Pitamahuli village. Similar is the situation between Birmaharajpur and Subalaya hwith rainwater flowing on a bridge over the Harihar Nullah near Jatesingha and another bridge over the Gungi Nullah near Bhutiapalli village.

In Puri district, most of the areas in the Delang block have been inundated due to incessant rainfall. Rainwater has entered the houses in Nadakhanda village. Saplings have been damaged with rainwater entering paddy fields.