Thousands of villagers in Odisha’s Rayagada and Kalahandi districts have been cut off by flood waters following flash floods triggered by incessant rains since Saturday evening. One person died in a landslide while dozens of villages were marooned by flood waters in the Kalyansingpur block of Rayagada and Thuamul Rampur block of Kalahandi. Four bridges, including a railway bridge, were washed away in swirling flood waters, with disruption in both vehicular and train movement on Sunday.
Flood water was flowing above the Rayagada-Andhra Pradesh road. As many as 11 trains were cancelled while five other trains were diverted to other routes.
While the Thuamul-Rampur area of Kalahandi received 260 mm rainfall in the past 24 hours, the Kashipur block in Rayagada recorded 237 mm rainfall during the same period, causing flash floods in the Nagabali and Kalyan rivers. In Kalahandi, water level in the Hati river is rising.
“About 80% of the Kalyansingpur block has been submerged by the water. Flood water had also entered residential schools for tribal children. They have been rescued by the administration. When the helicopter from Visakhapatnam reaches the district on Monday morning, we will intensify our rescue and relief operation,” said Rayagada collector Guha Punam Tapas Kumar.
IAF, Army to the rescue
Schools have been closed for three days in the Kalyansingpur and Rayagada blocks.
As the situation continued to be grim, four helicopters of the Indian Air Force (IAF) have been requisitioned for air-dropping of food packets as well as rescue of people. The government has also intimated the Army about the situation.
Both the district administrations had already started rescue operations with the help of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and State fire service personnel. Three units of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) with equipment and boats will be joining the operation from the early hours of Monday.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik rushed to control room of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) to take stock of the situation.
