Flood threat loomed over a few Odisha districts in summer season following heavy rain triggered by the very severe cyclonic storm Yaas on Thursday.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who undertook an aerial survey and chaired a meeting, directed the administration to gear up to face the flood threat and announced seven days of relief for people in submerged areas.
“We apprehend a medium level flood in the Baitarani river system due to heavy rain in its upper catchment. The Collectors of Bhadrak, Jajpur and Kendrapara district have been alerted,” said Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena here.
According to the India Meteorological Department, Yaas moved from Odisha to Jharkhand by dissipating further through Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts on Wednesday night.
A horse crosses a water-logged road after rains ahead of Cyclone Yaas at Digha in Purba Medinipur district in West Bengal, on May 26, 2021. Cautioning people that high tide in seas, caused by the storm surge, would persist, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee claimed that Bengal happens to be the "most-affected state".
A priest carries an idol of Lord Jagannath from a seafront temple to a safer place in Balasore district in Odisha, May 26, 2021. Several places, including Odisha's Balasore, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts, and neighbouring West Bengal's Kanthi, Diamond harbour, Basirhat, Tamluk, Uluberia are expected to experience ingress of the storm surge.
A cow runs through high tide water at the Digha beach on the Bay of Bengal coast as Cyclone Yaas intensifies in West Bengal, May 26, 2021. Water levels of several rivers including Bidyadhari, Hooghly and Rupnarayan have risen owing to 'Yaas' and accompanying storm surge.
High tide water enters into the village area in Bahanaga panchayat in Balasore district after the storm on May 25, 2021. Cyclone 'Yaas' made its landfall on Wednesday morning near Dhamra port in Odisha at 130-140 kmph, gusting to 155 kmph, according to Doppler radar data.
Rough sea during landfall of cyclone near the Bay of Bengal in East Midnapore district, May 26, 2021. Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and state police and civil defence volunteers were working round-the-clock to move people to safety.
People wade through waterlogged street at Gheri village in Chandipur of Balasore district, on May 26, 2021. The West Bengal chief minister further said that as many as 15,04,506 people have been evacuated from the vulnerable areas in the state and moved to safer places.
Indian Army's Eastern Command spearheads response for rescue and relief operations in West Bengal in preparations for Cyclone Yaas, which is likely to make landfall on May 26. Credit: PIB
NDRF personnel remove a falling electric pole at Bahanaga panchayat in Balasore district. The NDRF, together with the district administration of Jagatsinghpur in Odisha, has rescued 10 people from a river after their boat capsized, amid rough weather conditions under the influence of cyclone 'Yaas'.
A man looks at a car damaged due to Cyclone Yaas that made a landfall Wednesday at Digha on the Bay of Bengal coast, West Bengal on Thursday, May 27, 2021.
1
/
3
Under its influence, heavy rain lashed 200 blocks in the coastal districts on Wednesday. Seven blocks received rainfall in the range of 300 to 400 mm. By 8 a.m. on Thursday, Keonjhar received 127 mm followed by Sundargarh (101 mm), Mayurbhanj (96 mm) and Deogarh (62 mm).
Kusumi in Mayurbhanj district recorded 515 mm rainfall over two days while Chandipur in Balasore and Rajnagar in Kendrapara received 427 mm and 420 mm in 48 hours spanning over Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Baitarani is flowing above danger level at Akhuapada and Anandpur in Keonjhar district. “The way water level is rising in the river, there could be flood in 31 villages under 14 gram panchayats of Dhamnagar block,” said Gyana Dash, Bhadrak Collector.
The Water Resource Department has deployed engineers to divert flood water from entering human habitations in the lower catchment.
Though Balasore and Mayurbhanj recorded heavy rainfall, the SRC said, the Subarnarekha and the Burahbalanga did not pose any flood threat.
About 30 lakh power consumers were affected but 70-80% restoration has been completed.
The Yaas has affected 10 coastal districts and some interior districts such as Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Deogarh, Sundargarh and Sambalpur districts. The government had shifted 7.10 lakh people to 8410 cyclone shelters in 12 districts.
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.
