KENDRAPARA: Heavy rains over the last four days have thrown normal life out of gear in the district.
Hundreds of thatched houses are reported to have collapsed due to the downpour while low-lying areas have been inundated. With drainage channels blocked in the district headquarters town of Kendrapara, rainwater entered Government offices.
Even as the civic body is pumping rainwater from the offices, Kendrapara College and the residential office of the Collector have turned into pools reflecting poorly on the town’s drainage system. Rainwater also entered into the offices of Lift Irrigation department and Kendrapara tehsildar on the day. While a few employees worked in the water-logged offices, the others moved the files and computers to safer locations.
People are confined to their homes at Fakirabad, Ranapada, Dilarapur, Kakata, Tinimuhani Santasahi and other localities in Kendrapada town on Wednesday as rain water entered their houses.
Residents of Rajnagar and Mahakalapada blocks are also in panic as tidal waves hit the coastal areas on Tuesday night causing extensive damage to agricultural land. The waves damaged weak embankments at many places.
Parikhita Behera of Marsaghai said by-lanes of Marsaghai and Mahakalapada block are now under knee-deep water. “Without an outlet for drainage, water has accumulated on the roads,” he said. Similar is the plight in Rajnagar block where residents of Kanhupur, Magarakandha, Okilapada and Gupti are forced to remain indoors.
Collector Samarth Verma said continuous rainfall poses flood threat in riverside villages of Aul, Pattamundai and Rajkanika blocks. With more villages likely to be affected, adequate arrangements have been made and essential items like rice, flattened rice, molasses and kerosene stocked at all gram panchayat offices and block headquarters. The Collector said Government officials in the district have been directed not to leave their respective headquarters.