Bhubaneswar: Flash flooding in the Poteru River has brought the Malkangiri district to a standstill, with waters surging above the Kanyashram Bridge and crippling road connectivity to neighbouring regions. The deluge, triggered by intense rainfall, has seen water levels rise alarmingly, inundating key bridges such as Kangurakonda and Poteru, and severing vital links to Motu, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. As the situation continues to deteriorate, the Special Relief Commissioner has sounded a warning, urging travellers to exercise extreme caution and avoid crossing the bridge, while directing district administration to take swift and decisive action to mitigate the crisis.
The Special Relief Commissioner had directed the district collectors of Ganjam, Puri, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, and Balasore to ensure that fishermen do not venture into the sea for the next 24 hours.
It is pertinent to mention that a few fishermen had ventured into the sea despite a warning from the SRC due to bad weather. Seven fishermen who were stranded in the Mahanadi River near Paradip were rescued on Saturday morning.
The rescue operation was carried out by two mechanized boats sent by the SRC. The local police and officials from the Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Department were also present during the operation.
The fishermen have been advised to follow the safety guidelines and warnings issued by the government to avoid such incidents in the future. The concerned department has been asked to take strict action against those who ignore the warnings.
According to sources, the low-pressure-induced rainfall has caused some areas to receive heavy rainfall. Puri district’s Pipili received 109.0 mm of rainfall, Kanasa received 62.0 mm, and Jagatsinghpur received 72.0 mm. Koraput district’s Nandapur received 64.0 mm, Malkangiri district’s Kodia received 92.0 mm, Mathili received 79.0 mm, Korkunda received 77.0 mm, Malkangiri received 70.0 mm, and Khairaput received 53.0 mm.
Odisha has received less rainfall than normal this monsoon season. According to data from the Meteorological Department, the state received 156.3 mm of rainfall in June, which is 24.1% less than the normal rainfall. In July, the state received 320.8 mm of rainfall, which is 5.2% less than the normal rainfall, revealed the release issued by SRC.
