Bhubaneswar: A significant downpour affected various regions in Odisha following the landfall of a deep depression in neighboring Andhra Pradesh on Thursday. This situation prompted the state government to evacuate residents from low-lying and landslide-prone zones, according to officials.
With concerns about floods and landslides in the southern districts, the government dispatched two senior ministers — Rabi Narayan Naik (Panchayati Raj) and Gokulananda Mallik (Fisheries) — to Koraput and Gajapati districts, respectively, to manage the emergency response.
As reports of additional rainfall and waterlogging emerged from the southern regions, the state administration assigned two more ministers — Bibhuti Bhusan Jena (Transport) and Nityananda Gond (School and Mass Education) — to oversee Ganjam and Nabarangpur districts.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari stated that four senior officials had been deployed to the affected areas to supervise relief efforts and evaluate the damage. He indicated that the heavy rains brought on by the deep depression had impacted six districts: Ganjam, Gajapati, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, and Nabarangpur.
Pujari mentioned that the ruling BJP had encouraged party MLAs from vulnerable constituencies to assist in local emergency efforts. Following Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s directive for “zero casualty,” he reported, “We have evacuated 8,082 people by Thursday noon, and the evacuation process is ongoing. District collectors have been instructed to relocate individuals from at-risk areas prone to waterlogging.”
While asserting that the situation is under control, Pujari noted reports of fallen trees, landslides, waterlogged roads, and rainwater overflowing onto roadways from the impacted districts. Fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries or fatalities thus far.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has cautioned that the intensity of rainfall is expected to increase as the weather system approaches Odisha near Koraput later in the evening. They forecast that heavy rainfall will persist for the next two days.
In the 24 hours leading up to 8:30 am on Thursday, the state recorded an average rainfall of 70 mm, with Semiliguda in Koraput district experiencing the highest at 193.9 mm. Reports indicate that at least 17 locations across Odisha received over 100 mm of rain. A red alert was issued, prompting authorities to “take action,” with forecasts indicating more than 20 cm of rain in Nabarangpur district.
Additionally, six other districts — Baragada, Nuapada, Balangir, Kalahandi, Koraput, and Malkangiri — were placed under an orange alert due to expected heavy rainfall of 12-20 cm within the next 24 hours. A yellow alert was issued for nine other districts — Baleshwar, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Kendujhar, Mayurbhanj, Subarnapur, Boudh, Kandhamala, and Rayagada — anticipating 7-11 cm of rain.
The IMD warned of squally weather conditions along the coast, with wind gusts reaching up to 70 km/h, advising fishermen to refrain from going into the sea until Friday morning. A report from Malkangiri indicated that 4-5 feet of rainwater was flowing over four low-level bridges on National Highway 326 — Poteru, Kangurukonda, Kanyashram, and MV-90 — halting all vehicular traffic along the Malkangiri-Motu route.
This situation has severed communication to Kalimela, Motu, and Padia blocks, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded on both sides of the submerged bridges. Officials also reported that the bridge on the Malkangiri-Chhattisgarh road was underwater, while water levels in the Balimela, Satiguda, and Jalaput reservoirs have risen.
Due to heavy water flow in the upper nala and the risk of landslides, the Balimela-Chitrakonda ghat road has been closed. Koraput, which has a tribal population, also faced significant rainfall in the past 24 hours; however, officials confirmed no casualties, injuries, or major traffic disruptions in the district.
