Cyclone Daye leaves trail of deluge in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: Cyclone Daye weakened into a deep depression and moved towards Chhattisgarh on Friday but left a trail of a deluge in several districts of Odisha. Under its influence heavy rain lashed in north and south Odisha causing a flash flood in Malkangiri and Balasore districts.
Reviewing the situation Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced relief for the flood-hit people of Malkangiri district for seven days.
The CM announced Rs 60 each for elderly people and Rs 45 for children below 12 years for the next seven days. He also directed the district administration to cooperate with the people in the flood-hit areas.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi informed that some parts of the district like Korukonda have received a record rainfall of 403 mm followed by 256.4 mm in Malkangiri, 135.4 mm in Kakrigumma, 103 mm in Mathili, 118 mm in Kalimela and 83 mm in Khariput in the last 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Friday. The landslide also occurred in Chitrakonda area but no one is injured, Sethi said. An 11-member ODRAF team has arrived in Malkangiri district from Koraput to expedite relief and rescue operations, he added.
Due to heavy rain authorities of Balimela, Jalaput and Machhkund dams opened gates to release flood water on Friday. Several areas of Malkangiri district including Korukonda, MV-37, MV-3, MV-50, Poteru, Kankarkonda and Padia villages in Kalimela block have been marooned in floodwater. Road communication disrupted between Balimela and Malkangiri due to the overflowing of floodwater over Kanyasharam Bridge near MV-11. Similarly, vehicular movement between Kelimala and Chhattisgarh has been affected due to overflowing of floodwater at a height of about four feet near Chalanguda.
In north Odisha rivers like Jalaka and Budhabalanga are flowing over danger marks inundating huge areas in Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts. Due to heavy rainfall in the upper catchments, two gates each of Kala Dam and Sunei Dam were opened while Balasore town has recorded 140 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours ending at 8.30am on Friday.
The India Meteorology Department (IMD) bulletin said, “The deep depression over interior Odisha moved west-northwestwards during past six hours and weakened into a depression and lay centred at Vidarbha. It is very likely to continue to move west-northwestwards and weaken further into a well-marked low-pressure area during next 24 hours.” Wind speed likely to be 40 to 50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph during next six hours and decrease thereafter.
“There would be widespread rainfall in most parts of Odisha till Saturday morning. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea along the Odisha coast and the central Bay of Bengal till next 12 hours,” director of IMD’s Bhubaneswar centre H R Biswas said. As a precautionary measure, distant cautionary signal no-3 has been hoisted in all the ports in Odisha, he added.
Normal life affected in Bhubaneswar as the city recorded sporadic rainfall in isolated pockets since Friday morning. Several major roads including national highways 16 and 316 passing through the city and low lying areas got waterlogged causing serious traffic problem in the city.