Heavy Rain Batters Malkangiri, Several Areas Marooned

Malkangiri: Incessant rain continues to lash Malkangiri triggering flood-like situation and cutting-off several low-lying regions of Malkangiri.

With water level rising in the rivers, several bridges in the low-lying areas in Kokarkonda, MV-37 and Korkunda have been submerged. Road connectivity has been severely disrupted in many parts of the district. Traffic movement on many roads including Malkangiri-Kalimela and Malkangiri-Balimela has been disrupted following submergence of the bridges.

The district administration has asked the concerned authorities from panchayat to block level to stay alert in view of a full-fledged flood situation. Adequate food materials have been stored while flood shelters have also been kept ready for any exigency.

Road connectivity has been severely affected in many areas including Kalimela, Motu and Padia, Malkangiri district Collector Manish Agarwal said.

"We are fully prepared to deal with any situation. Fire services and ODRAF (Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force) personnel are ready to swing into action whenever required," Agarwal said.

According to latest weather data, Malkangiri has received the maximum average rainfall of 115.86 mm in the State followed by Koraput with 33 mm in last 24 hours. Block wise rainfall distribution of Malkangiri shows that Mathili has received 117 mm of rainfall, Khairaput-100 mm, K Gumma-120 mm, Korukonda 95 mm, Kalimela-145 mm, Podai-117 mm and Malkangiri block has recorded 117 mm of rainfall  in the past one day.

A few days earlier many areas of the district were marooned after torrential rain. At least two persons were reportedly killed due to a flood-like situation in the region.

Revenue & Disaster Management Minister Sudam Marndi along with Special Relief Commissioner had reviewed the situation through an aerial survey yesterday. The minister had allayed fears of flood in the region and said that the situation is being monitored.

Regional Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar has forecast that under the impact of a trough line extending from Rajasthan to Manipur and a cyclonic circulation in the Northwest Bay of Bengal which is likely to intensify to a well marked low pressure by August 4, several parts of the State especially south and North-coastal Odisha will receive heavy rainfall in the next few days.

"There are chances of heavy to very heavy rainfall in some places of Ganjam, Puri and Jagatsinghur while heavy rainfall might be witnessed in Kalahandi, Malkangiri, Koraput, Kandhamal in South and South-western region apart from Balasore and Mayurbhanj in northern parts of the State," informed Laxmidhar Mohapatra, Duty Officer of IMD’s regional centre.

Meanwhile, keeping in view the inclement weather and flood-like situation in Malkangiri, the administration has ordered closure of all schools in the district for next two days.