Rain Fury In Odisha Claims 3 Lives; Water Level In Hirakud Dam Still At 628 Ft

Bhubaneswar: Two days after extremely heavy rain played havoc in Odisha, the Special Relief Commissioner on Friday informed that the water flow of the Mahanadi was 7,50,000 cusec at Khairmal, 1,24,301 cusec at Mundali, 5,65,500 cusec at Barmul, and 84,000 cusec at Belgaon.

It further said that 2,45,401 cusec water was being discharged from 14 gates of Hirakud Dam amid an inflow of 1,97,753 cusec. The water level of the reservoir stood at 628.15 feet against its optimum capacity of 630 feet. 

Odisha recorded an average rainfall of 23.8 mm in the last 24 hours with the highest of 193 mm in Deogaon block of Balangir district. Two other blocks in Balangir also recorded more than 100 mm rainfall – Gudvella (125.6 mm) and Balangir (112 mm). Gaisilet in Bargarh recoded 105 mm rainfall, followed by Karlamunda (110 mm) and Narla (108 mm) in Kalahandi district.

The state has received 213.7 mm rainfall from September 1-15 against the monthly average of 231.9 mm.

According to sources, heavy downpour triggered by a low pressure over Bay of Bengal has claimed 3 lives, and damaged houses and property in western and southern parts of the Odisha in the last two days.

On Wednesday night, Rusimani Sahu (49) was killed after his kutcha house collapsed in Dumermunda village. Binita Parabhoi (29) of Harekrushnapur village of the same block died after her house caved in the previous night. Gulekha Podh of Piplipali village in Balangir district drowned while fishing at the swelling Redha check dam. A person accompanying him is reportedly missing.

In Kandhamal district, around 40 students had a narrow escape after a portion of a classroom wall of Kilupada primary school in Baliguda sub-division collapsed in the rains.

Four villages in Bodaput panchayat under Boipariguda block in Koraput district were cut off from the district headquarters with 10 metre of road, connecting Bodaput with Tentulipada, was washed away in the torrential rain on Thursday. The makeshift Bangalaguda bridge connecting Koraput-Rayagada NH-326 was also washed away. Sources said around 53 houses were damaged in the rain. Flood alarm was also sounded in around 30 villages of Kotpad, Borigumma and Kundra blocks due to swelling of Indravati, Kolab and Surli rivers.

In. Balangir, rainwater entered several areas in Titilagarh, Patnagarh, Kantabanji, Sindhekela, Chudapali and Loisingha. Keeping in view the torrential rains, the Balangir district administration closed down all schools and anganwadi centres till Friday morning.

Road communication between Malkangiri and Chhattisgarh and Telangana was disrupted with water flowing five feet above a low-lying bridge between Kalimela and MV-79 village near MV-96.