10 Odisha villages marooned in flash flood

At least 10 villages of Odisha's Kalahandi district were marooned in flood waters due to heavy rains at the catchment areas of river Indravati leading to disruption of road communications in different western Odisha district and halt of power generation from the Upper Indravati Hydel project.

"Six villages under Kalampur block and four villages under Junagarh block have been submerged in flood water and some people have been evacuated to safe places," said Kalahandi district collector Gobind Chandra Sethi, adding relief materials are being sent to the affected people.

The districts which had been hit due to torrential rains included Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Bolangir and Koraput, said Revenue and Disaster Management Minister S N Patro. "We  have put the district collectors of the southern and western region on alert as the weather office has forecast heavy rain in next 24 hours," he said.

According to the director of the local IMD, S C Sahu, heavy rains are likely to take place in some places of southern parts of the state due to a low pressure in the Bay of Bengal. This apart, he said, monsoon was also active in these parts.

Disruption in road communications following the washout of two fair weather bridges connecting Kalampur and Junagarh in Kalahandi district has also affected rescue operations in these villages.

In Bhawanipatna, the district headquarters of Kalahandi district, water was flowing at a height of above two feet over NH-26 leading to disruption of road communication between Bhawanipatna and Nabrangpur.

Several state highways between Junagarh and Dharmagada have also been cut off due to the incessant rains. Meanwhile, power generation at the 600 MW Upper Indravati hydro-power plant was disrupted due to the flash flood in river Hati, the minister informed.

According to official report during last 24 hours ending on Monday at 8 am, 660 mm rainfall in Thuamul Rampur block and 400 MM in Kalampur block were recorded followed by 235 MM in Jaipatna, 132 in Kesinga and 105 MM rain in Bhawanipatna  block of the district.