Focus on relief in Koraput

Water starts receding in Kolab, Saveri, Saptadhara, Indravati, Patali and Surali rivers.
Focus on relief in Koraput

JEYPORE: The rain-ravaged Koraput district is slowly limping back to normalcy as water level of different rivers started receding on Sunday. Despite rain in some areas in the last 24 hours, water started receding in Kolab, Saveri, Saptadhara, Indravati, Patali and Surali rivers.While road communication connecting Malkangiri and Rayagada districts and neighbouring Chhattisgarh has been restored, rescue operations are primarily over. The focus has now shifted to relief operations as the district now stares at the fear of epidemics.

Sources said there was no torrential rain in the catchment areas of the rivers on Sunday giving a relief to the villagers of Kotpad, Nandapur, Borrigumma and Kundra blocks in the district. As crop damage reports are pouring in from Kundra, Borrigumma, Jeypore and Kotpad blocks with washing away of paddy saplings in rain water, the district administration will soon conduct a survey for assessment.

As per preliminary estimation, kharif paddy crops over 5,000 acres of land have been damaged due to heavy rainfall which delayed the transplanting work.Meanwhile, the district administration has asked all tehsildars and Block Development Officers (BDOs) to begin evaluation of damage or loss caused by the low pressure-induced rains. The field officials are facing a tough task to visit the panchayats due to the damaged roads.

A portion of road washed away in Kalahandi and a man dries up currency at a relief centre in Sambalpur on Sunday | express
A portion of road washed away in Kalahandi and a man dries up currency at a relief centre in Sambalpur on Sunday | express

Downpour ravages Sambalpur

Sambalpur: Incessant rain for more than 12 hours wreaked havoc in Sambalpur City, rendering several low-lying areas under water.Official sources said while the normal rainfall in the district in July is 429.5 mm, the city received 487 mm in the last 24 hours. Officials of fire services, ODRAF and police were pressed in rescue and evacuation operations. A 26-year-old girl, identified as Tapaswini Nag, was washed away while she was crossing a nullah on Saturday night. As many as 326 people were evacuated by the ODRAF teams.This apart, communication between Sambalpur and Hirakud remained cut off for around nine hours after storm water flowed over the road.

Three bodies found  
Bhawanipatna: At least three bodies have been recovered so far in Kalahandi district after flood water started receding. A decomposed body was found near Mangalpur barrage of Indravati project after water level receded in Hati river. The deceased is yet to be identified. Similarly, another decomposed unidentified body was found along the bank of Balijore nullah in Rajabandoguda village under Dhansuli panchayat of Jaipatna block. On Saturday, a 40-year-old woman died after a wall collapsed at Pitaguda village under Junagarh block. She was taking shelter at the village club when the incident took place.

Bridge washed away in Kolanra
Rayagada: Following heavy rains in the last two days, hundreds of thatched houses have been damaged in Kalyansighpur, Kashipur, Rayagada, Kolnara and Padmapur blocks. While Kalyansighpur is the wort-hit block of the district, a bridge near Piteshu Village under Kolanra block and a check dam near Kanipai village under Kalyansinghpur block were washed away. A two-year-old girl child died due to drowning in a nullah at Siguru village under Rayagada tehsil. Meanwhile, Collector Guha Poonam Tapas Kumar has asked the officials concerned to provide cooked food 40 villagers at Tumbitarai in Kalyansinghpr and Jagannathpur under Rayagada block. This apart, provision of distributing dry food has also been made to all rain affected families. Rescue operations have been lunched in rain-affected areas.

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