Odisha suffered little damage as the cyclonic storm, Gulab, crossed the State causing widespread rain in southern districts on Monday.
“The cyclone has not inflicted significant damage when it passed over the State. Wind speed recorded during the past 24 hours was not destructive. Gajapati district received uniform rainfall, which was not even intense. Two blocks of Koraput and Malkangiri have recorded above 100 mm rainfall,” said Pradeep Kumar Jena, Special Relief Commissioner.
He said the State recorded rainfall and wind less than that of the IMD predictions. As a precautionary measure, 46,075 persons including more than 1,500 pregnant women and elderly persons were shifted to safer places in southern Odisha district.
While 21 blocks received rainfall above 50 mm, the highest 148 mm was recorded in Potangi block of Koraput. A few road stretches in the southern districts were overflowing with water while the disaster response forces immediately restored road communication by cutting down uprooted trees.
Vehicular movement affected
“The vehicular movement on the the National Highway 26 connecting Raipur-Vijaynagaram was affected due to a landslip. Two 50-metre stretches in Sunki Ghat road along the NH-26 were blocked. Those roadblocks would be cleared shortly,” said Abdaal M. Akhtar, Koraput Collector.
“The deep depression over south Odisha and adjoining south Chhattisgarh moved westwards with a speed of 14 kmph during the last past six hours, lay centred over south Odisha and adjoining south Chhattisgarh about 65 km south of Jagdalpur [Chhattisgarh] and 150 km east-northeast of Bhadrachalam [Telangana],” said the latest bulletin of the IMD.
“It is likely to move nearly westwards and weaken into a depression during the next six hours and into a well-marked low pressure area during the subsequent 24 hours.”
Though major damage to the public infrastructure including power distribution lines was not noticed, all Collectors of the affected districts were asked to submit their damage assessment report immediately, said the SRC.
