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The Odisha government on Thursday asked the collectors of Malkangiri, Koraput and Kalahandi districts to remain prepared for any eventualities in view of the alert of heavy rains caused by low pressure over the Bay of Bengal for the next three days.
All the senior officers and field officials from the various departments in the three provinces were instructed to stay at the headquarters.
“Senior officers of the Department of Water Resources have been instructed to visit and inspect weak and vulnerable enclaves and to keep men and materials on standby in case of emergency,” said a senior government official in the Office of the Special Relief Commissioner.
The state government report stated that low-lying areas may experience waterlogging and roads and drains may be submerged under water as a result of heavy rainfall.
“Civil authorities have been instructed to keep drains and storm water channels clear of congestion and to deploy appropriate water removal pumps as per requirements. The official said officers will also regulate traffic and overflight of vehicles on flooded roads to avoid any mishap.
The Department of Health and Family Welfare advised maintaining an adequate supply of anti-snake venom (ASV) to treat cases of snakebite.
Although heavy rains fell in several pockets of Malkangiri district in the last three days resulting in severe waterlogging, there has been little improvement in the situation.
In the past 24 hours, the highest rainfall of 199 mm was recorded in the Chitrakunda block of Malkangiri while 185 mm of rain was recorded in the Kurukunda block and 183 mm in the Malkangiri district.
Earlier, road connections between Malkangiri and other districts like Balimela, Kalimela and Motu were cut off due to waterlogging. The routes were cleared and communication was reestablished at a later date.
On the other hand, incessant rains triggered a landslide in the Payapada Ghat under the Chitrakunda stream in Malkangiri district on Thursday, which cut off communication with as many as 19 villages inhabited by more than 3,000 villagers. Officials said steps were being taken to restore contact with the villages.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert (heavy to very heavy rain) for eight districts — Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Kandamal, Ganjam, Nayagarh and Palanger — for Friday.
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