Nor'wester wreaks havoc in Odisha, SRC seeks damage report

Nor'wester rain packing gusty winds along with thunder and lightning left a trail of destruction in several parts of Odisha on Thursday. Widespread damages were reported in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Pipili, Puri, and Athagarh areas of the State.

At a time when the entire State was reeling under an intense heat wave, the sudden change in the climate on account of Nor’wester rainfall brought a sigh of relief. But, it turned out to be a nightmare for people living in the coastal areas, where the rainfall and wind wreaked havoc.

The Nor’wester with gusty wind at speeds reaching up to 40-50 km per hour uprooted several trees in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. Similarly, vehicular movement on several routes was affected in Pipili after a high-tension electric wire snapped in heavy wind.

Several kutcha and asbestos houses were damaged in Athagarh, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, and Dhenkanal, sources informed.

Taking note of the severity of the impact, the Special Relief Commission (SRC) has directed district collectors to furnish reports on the damages as soon as possible.  

The SRC also directed concerned officials to liaise with DISCOMS for immediate power restoration in the affected areas.