Heavy rains trigger flash floods in Orissa

Bhubaneswar, Jun 17 (UNI) The Orissa government today alerted all the coastal districts collectors to take precautionary measures to meet any eventuality in the wake of water level rising in almost all major rivers of the state.

The Special Relief Commissioner(SRC) alerted the collectors of Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Puri, Gajapati, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Khurda and Rayagada after the water level showed a rising trend in all the major rivers such as Budhabanalang, Baitarani, Subarnarekha and Mahanadi following heavy rains in the upper catchment areas for the last two days.

Official sources said the monsoon has so far claimed two lives in the state. While one died in a wall collapse incident at Baripada, a girl was swept away in the flash flood in Badasahi block of the Mayurbhanja district.

The sources said the Subarnarekha was flowing at 10.2 metres near Jamsolaghat against the danger level of 10.36 metre and was rising alarmingly. The Budhabalang was also on a rising trend at NH-5 near Govindpur, Baripada and Balimunduli, while water level of the Baitarani was showing a rising trend at Champua, Anandpur and Akhuapada.

At Akhuapada the Baitarani was flowing close to the danger level and was rising. The river was flowing at 17.19 metres against the danger level of 17.83 metres this evening, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the local Met office said yesterday's depression over coastal Bangladesh moved in a north westerly direction and lay centred over gangetic West Bengal and adjoining Bangladesh close to Krishnanagar (West Bengal) at about 80 km north east of Kolkata.

The system is likely to move in a north-westerly direction and cause heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places in north and south Orissa during the next 24 hours.

Wind speed from westerly direction reaching 45-55 kmph and gusting to 65 kmph were likely to prevail along and off Orissa coast. The sea condition would be rough to very rough along and off Orissa coast and fishermen were advised not to venture into the sea.

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