Malkangiri: The district has been reeling under the impact of relentless rainfall for the past 48 hours, leaving residents sleepless and anxious. The situation has taken a turn for the worse, prompting the district administration to swing into action. So far, 53 flood-affected individuals have been rescued and 17 others have been evacuated to safer locations in a bid to mitigate the crisis.
According to reports, in a bid to alleviate the suffering of flood-affected residents, the district administration has made arrangements to supply cooked meals to approximately 1700 residents of 14 inundated areas. To further augment rescue efforts, the administration has also decided to deploy six teams of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) to expedite the evacuation process and provide critical support to those in need.
As per reports, the district has been cut off from the rest of the world as all major roads are submerged in water. The national highway passing through the district is also affected, with water flowing over the bridges. The Pangam River is flowing over the bridge disrupting traffic between Jeypore and Malkangiri. Similarly, other bridges like MV 7, Potteru Bridge, Kangurukonda, MV 90, MV 96, Pangaam, and Kanyashram are also submerged, making it impossible for vehicles to ply.
As part of safety measures, the district administration has blocked the roads with red flags, and police personnel are preventing people from crossing the bridges.
Besides, many government and private buses are stranded on the roads. As a result, connectivity between Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana has been disrupted. Similarly, the Chalanguda Canal and Sukuma River are also flowing above the danger mark, disrupting connectivity with Chhattisgarh.
Adding to the woes, a landslide has occurred at Bandhaghati at Khairput block, blocking the road and disrupting connectivity between Khairput and Bandhaghati. The only road connecting the Bonda tribal village to the rest of the world has been blocked due to the landslide, cutting off the village from the outside world.
Similarly, as many as 10 villages under the Korakunda block have been disconnected from the outer world due to constant rainfall activities.
