Bhubaneswar ,August 07 (Odisha.in) The incessant heavy rain caused due to the depression formed over Bay of Bengal since Saturday last has claimed fifteen lives including one women in the coastal Orissa .
Besides, floods loom large in the Northern and Southern Cuttack rivers following heavy down power .
While thirteen persons died of the lightening , six in Cuttack and seven in Balasore district, one lady was killed in wall collapse caused by the strong whirlwind in the
Binjharpur area of Jaajpur districst and another man was killed as the live electric wire fell on hem, said the Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Manmohan Samal.
The millennium City, Cuttack, 25 Km from the state capital has borne the brunt of the continual rains that created a deluge brining miseries to about three lakah people and fifty thousand people are still in water logged areas , Samal said adding “during the last three days, Cuttack received a record 437 mm of rainfall ,which is unheard of in fifty years’ .
Samal along with the Urban development Minister K.V.Sing Deo, after visiting the Cuttack city described the situation as “grave” and normal life in the city has been crippled due to the drainage congetion following the continuous heavy down power.”
Ten boats were deployed for rescue and relief operation in the city , he said. So far over ten thousand people have been shifted to safer places and the district administration has started providing relief with cooked food by opening at least 14 free kitchen. The relief would be provided for next three days, Samal said
Singh Deo said 116 Pumps have been pressed into services for dewatering along-with opening of all the gates in the drainage systerm.
With the fear of epidemics looming large in the city due to deluge of dirty drain water that entered all most all the dwellings and water sources, steps are being taken to disinfect the water sources and premises said the Urban development Minister, adding ,” safe drinking water pouches and tanker water is being provided to the inhabitants who have been advised not to use the wells and tubewells till disinfected.
With the depression which crossed the coast and lay centred near Cuttack Monday morning , is likely weaken gradually, according to local IMD sources,which forcast heavy to very heavy rain likely to occure at isolated places over interior and coastal Orissa as the South west monsoon has been vigours with the the Depression.
The continuous down power has meanwhile came as a blessings to the 25 districts,which threatened drought like situation due to moisture stress following deficient rain, the revenue minister said.