Heavy rain in the last 48 hours triggered floods in many rivers across Odisha, which are flowing above the danger mark in different districts. Water overflowing from the rivers has entered villages and city suburbs.
According to a report from Baripada, the headquarters town of tribal-dominated north Odisha Mayurbhanj district, people from six wards of the town were moved to temporary shelters as water from the river Budhabalanga entered the town.
The flood waters have also inundated villages in the Bangiriposhi block of the district, as well as a few villages in the neighbouring Balasore district.
The Baitarani, another major river - Baitarani - was flowing over the danger level at Akhuapada in north Odisha district of Bhadrak, as well as Anandapur in neighbouring Keonjhar district. Similarly, in south Odisha, the water of the river Bamsdahara was flowing above the danger level at Kashinagar in Gajapati district.
A report from coastal Jajpur district said a boat carrying 30 people capsized on the river Baitarani near Dashrathpur. While 28 out of 30 villagers managed to swim ashore, two were still missing.
Secretariat sources said Collectors of flood-affected districts, particularly in north Odisha, have been asked to remain on high alert.Meanwhile, the local weather office on Saturday evening forecast more rainfall in the state in the next 48 hours, though the well marked low-pressure over Odisha has already moved towards neighbouring Chhattisgarh. “Rainfall is likely to occur at many places in Odisha during the next 48 hours. However, the rain may be heavy at one or two places in north Odisha”, the met office said in its press release.
Meanwhile, moderate to heavy rainfall and thundershowers occurred at most places in eastern Uttar Pradesh and at several places in its western parts as the south-west monsoon continued to lash the state.
The Met office said the chief amount of rainfall recorded in centimetres is: Lalitpur with 7, Varanasi and Mahroni with 6 each; Rai Bareli, Kunda, Churk, Karwi, Orai and Ghazipur with 5 each; Jaunpur, Kanpur, Allahabad and Kakardharighat with 4 each; Ghosi, Sultanpur, Unnao, Regoli, Mauranipur, Aonla, Jhansi, Bisauli and Badaun with 3 each. As of Saturday, the forecast is for rain and thundershowers at a few places in the state in the next 24 hours.
Central Water Commission here said that major rivers such as the Ganga, Sharda, Ghaghra and the Rapti continued to flow above the danger mark at some places.