Bhubaneswar: The Special relief Commissioner (SRC), Odisha, on Friday directed collectors of Malkangiri and Nabarangpur to prohibit movement of vehicles on roads that have submerged following very heavy rain under the influence of a Depression over north-west and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal.
“The local police shall remain on the spot to ensure it. People of low-lying villages may be evacuated if required. The situation may be closely monitored,” the SRC said.
Collectors of other districts are also instructed to take similar action depending upon the situation, it added.
According to sources, the Depression-induced heavy rain has led to submergence of Kangurukonda bridge on NH-326. Floodwater is also flowing at 3 feet on MV-96 bridge, snapping communication between Malkangiri and Motu.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red warning for scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20cm) with isolated extremely heavy rainfall (>20cm) at one or two places in Koraput, Malkangiri, Kalahandi, and Nabarangpur districts till 8.30 am on Saturday (July 13).
It has also warned of flash flood/waterlogging in low-lying areas, inundation of agriculture field, mudslides/landslides in vulnerable hilly areas. There is also a possibility of some damage to kutcha road, wall collapse of vulnerable kutcha houses, waterlogging in underpass road and occasional reduction of visibility causing traffic congestion in urban areas.
It further stated that the downpour may lead to significant rise in water level of rivers.
Odisha will continue to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall till July 23 as the system is expected to move northwestwards and cross Odisha coast near Puri as a depression during early morning hours of July 20 and then west-northwestwards across Odisha and Chhattisgarh and weaken gradually during subsequent 24 hours.
Also Read: Red Alert: Extremely Heavy Rain Likely In Odisha Today, IMD Warns Of Flash Flood, Squall@65kmph
According SOA’s Centre for Environment and Climate (CEC), rain punctuated by occasional intense spells of rainfall will continue over coastal, southern and western parts of the state till late evening on Friday due to convection exemplified by sunshine and cloudy sky alternately.
The bulletin further said the system will continue to move in the northwesterly direction causing heavy to very heavy rains spread across coastal, northern and western parts of the state from Friday night which will persist till Saturday evening. Heavy rainfall is likely in western Odisha up to Tuesday, it said.
Fresh moderate to heavy precipitation is expected in northern and western Odisha again from Tuesday including in the catchment of major rivers like upper Mahanadi, Baitarani, Brahmani, Budhabalanga and Subarnarekha due to presence of a cyclonic circulation over north Odisha and Jharkhand which will continue till next Friday, it added.
