Heavy rains trigger floods in Orissa

KalingaTimes Correspondent
Bhubaneswar, Sep 23: Heavy rains across Orissa during the past few days have triggered floods in several rivers affecting normal life in several districts of the State. Balasore district has been badly affected by the floods.

The rains had also caused flash floods in many areas resulting in the death of as many as seven persons by Sunday.

The rivers that were in spate by Sunday afternoon are Mahanadi, Brahmani, Baitarani, Budhabalanga, Subarnarekha, Vansadhara and Rushikulya.

Heavy rainfall occurred at most places over the catchments of these rivers during since Saturday under the influence of the depression over northwest Bay.

The depression that had crossed the State's coast near Puri on Saturday evening lay centred near Angul during the day on Sunday. The system is likely to move in a northwesterly direction and weaken gradually.

However, heavy to very heavy rainfall was likely to occur at a few places over Subarnarekha, Baitarani, Lower Brahmani, Lower Mahanadi, Vansadhara and at isolated places over Upper Brahmani and Upper Mahanadi catchments during next 48 hours.

According to the flood bulletin issued by the Water Resources Department, Budhabalanga was already flowing above the danger level at Govindpur, while Baitarani was flowing above the danger mark at Akhuapada.

Meanwhile, normal life continued to remain paralysed in most parts of the State with heavy rains at frequent intervals. People living in the low lying areas of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack continued to have a difficult time.