Heavy Rain Batters Odisha Amid Depression, More Showers Likely

Villages, agriculture fields, roads, bridges and low-lying areas were flooded with rivers in spate in several districts of Odisha on Tuesday after torrential rain pummelled the state, especially the southern region. Coastal parts of Bengal, too, received moderate rainfall during the day.

A well-marked low-pressure area (Lopar) over the northwest Bay of Bengal concentrated into a depression and lay over western Odisha and about 30 km southeast of Sambalpur at 5.30 pm, the Meteorological Centre said.

The system is set to weaken into a well-marked Lopar again over Chhattisgarh on Wednesday, it said, adding that the monsoon trough was passing through western and coastal Odisha. 

At least eight weather stations recorded very heavy showers of 116-204 mm, while 44 places were battered by downpour of 65-115 mm over a 24-period till 8.30 am, the weather office said. Kosagumuda in Nabarangpur recorded 161 mm of rain, followed by 160.2 mm in Bhapur in Nayagarh. 

Heavy rain lashed Gajapati, Rayagada, Cuttack, Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Koraput districts. Bhubaneswar and Cuttack logged 76 mm and 31 mm of rain respectively. Many areas in Malkangiri district were severely affected as the water level in several rivers rose following incessant rain, leading to important highways and bridges being submerged and villages getting marooned. The situation was exacerbated as the Godavari river was also in spate.

Residents of several villages in Gajapati were stranded as waters from the swollen Harabhangi river swept the area. A bridge was washed away in Sinapali area of Nuapada. Six people were seriously wounded after a house collapsed following heavy rain in Nabarangpur. They are undergoing treatment in a hospital.

Ganjam district was also pounded by downpour, with district headquarters Chhatrapur receiving 142 mm of precipitation. A 17-year old boy was swept away in the swollen Rushikulya river at Handighara under Purusottampur area. The teenager was rescued from Khajipalli by using a life jacket and a rope. He has been admitted in a hospital, a fire brigade official said.

Intense spell of 97 mm rain occurred in Angul between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm, followed by 77.8 mm in Sambalpur, 56.4 mm in Bhawanipatna town in Kalahandi and 47.2 mm in Bolangir. Light to moderate rainfall was witnessed in some parts of neighbouring West Bengal.

Kanthi in Purba Medinipur district of Bengal received 41 mm rainfall in 24 hours till 8.30 am of Tuesday, while the seaside resort town of Digha in the same district experienced 29 mm rain during the same period.

According to the Met office, a red alert of extremely heavy rain of over 204 mm has been issued for a few places in Bargarh, Sambalpur, Angul and Keonjhar districts till Wednesday morning. It put out an orange warning of very heavy rain in Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Deogarh, Angul, Mayurbhanj, Balasore and Bargarh districts on Wednesday.

The Met department also predicted heavy showers across many districts over the next four days, adding that the monsoon trough was passing through the centre of the depression over coastal Odisha. In Gangetic Bengal, too, districts are very likely to receive widespread rain till Thursday and also on Saturday with heavy rain at isolated places.

Fisherfolk have been advised not to venture off the coast till Thursday as sea conditions will be rough and squally weather with wind speed of 45-65 kmph is possible over the northwestern Bay of Bengal. The ports of Paradeep, Dhamra and Gopalpur have also been put on alert due to the inclement weather.

(With PTI inputs)