By IANS
Bhubaneswar : Torrential rains and strong winds over the past three days have severely flooded coastal Orissa, especially Cuttack and Bhubhaneswar, killing seven people, submerging homes and crippling traffic.
Rains and gales continued lash large areas in the coastal districts Monday, forcing people to remain indoors.
Cuttack, 25 km from Bhubaneswar, was one of the worst hit, with over half a million of people stranded in floodwaters as officials evacuated thousands from slums and low-lying areas to safer places.
The city recorded 33 cm of rainfall in just 10 hours Sunday – the highest in the last three decades.
The state government has ordered the closure of all schools and colleges in Cuttack.
“Over 80 percent of the city has been waterlogged due to incessant rains and an inefficient drainage system. Most residents are trapped at home,” said Amitabh Rout of Cuttack.
Business establishments were affected as water entered shops and godowns and commuters were left high and dry. The bus terminus was flooded.
Ironically, the office of Cuttack’s chief engineer (drainage), which oversees the drainage work across Orissa, was also inundated. Over 300 people, including officials and their families, were forced to spend nights at higher reaches as water had entered their homes.
“We are trying to pump out water from several low laying areas. High power diesel pumps have been deployed at various places across the city,” said Cuttack Collector Sujata Rout.
“We have declared two-day relief for the affected people and free kitchens will be opened for the worst hit. Over 20,000 people have been evacuated to safer places,” Rout told IANS.
Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) commissioner Rabindranath Kar said the situation was so bad because the surface water drainage channels could not accommodate the unprecedented rain.
The situation in the state capital Bhubaneswar was no better.
“Rainwaters have gushed into many houses in VIP areas like Sahid Nagar and Acharya Vihar as well,” said an official of Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA).
And the eastern state can expect more rain in the coming days, according to the weather department.
The sea is likely to remain rough for the next few days and fishermen have been advised not to venture out to sea.