Hudhud impact: Heavy rains, strong winds lash Chhattisgarh

Heavy rainfall coupled with strong winds continued to lash several parts of Chhattisgarh on Monday due to cyclone Hudhud, which hit coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on Sunday.

Maximum impact of the cyclone was witnessed in south Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division where an average 65-70 millimetre rainfall has been recorded since Sunday evening, triggering rise in water level in rivers and small streams.

Moderate to heavy rains continued in Dantewada, Sukma, Kanker and Bastar while good showers were recorded in Raipur, Rajnandgaon, Kawardha, Durg, Mahasamund and other districts, revenue and disaster management department deputy secretary Chandrakant Uike said.

“However, so far no flood-like situation or any untoward incident has been reported from any part of the state. We are closely monitoring the situation at every place, particularly in Bastar,” he said.

“We have asked the district authorities to send a report about the situation in their respective areas. As per preliminary information, the impact of Hudhud was weakening gradually,” he added.

The flood control rooms in all districts and government hospitals were asked to remain open for 24 hours. Even the state disaster response force teams were put on alert along with rescue equipment to extended aid in case of emergency, he said.

People have been warned not to venture near rivers and waters bodies for next two days amid possibility of heavy rain which may trigger a rise in water level, Uike said.

Considering safety of the passengers and to avoid damage to railway tracks, the South East Central Railway has decided to cancel trains that would run through the affected areas. The Korba-Visakhapatnam Link Express, Durg-Jagdalpur Express and LTT—Bhubaneswar Superfast Express are cancelled.

According to the weather department, extremely heavy rainfall is likely to lash districts of Bastar division in next 24 hours.

An average 65-70 mm rainfall has been recorded in Bastar region since Sunday evening with a wind speed of 40-50 kmph. In Raipur the 9.7 mm rainfall was recorded, a meteorologist at Raipur MeT Centre said.

Heavy to very heavy rains are likely to lash southern belt of the state in next 24 hours due to the cyclonic impact, while other regions may experience mild rainfall, he said. 

Image: Tidal waves hit the Vizag beach as cyclone Hudhud reaches the port city of Visakhapatnam. Photograph: PTI photo