Dist has thousands of thatched houses, no cyclone centre; floods, landslides feared
Very severe cyclonic storm, which will touch Visakhapatnam coast by Sunday noon, is predicted to severely affect Rayagada district.
For the first time ever, the district will face such a severe cyclone like the coastal districts. The wind speed is predicted to be 70-80 kmph. There will be incessant rains for three to four days during and after the cyclone. Rivers like Bansadhara, Nagabali and their tributaries will swell to create havoc like flash floods and landslides. All this will entirely affect the district but blocks like Chandrapur, Gudari, Gunupur and Kashipur are particularly vulnerable.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik already had a talk through videoconferencing with the district administration regarding the disaster preparedness and contingency plan in the district. An ODRAF team has already reached Gunupur and conducted a mock drill. It has also assessed the situation in Gudari. Departments like Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS), Health, Electricity, PWD, RTO, PHED, Police, Agriculture etc have been instructed to be alert with their plan of action. The district administrations of adjacent Gajapati and Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh have been kept in loop for a coordinated effort to combat the ensuing disaster. Satellite phones received from the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) are in place.
It may be noted here that there is not a single cyclone centre in the district, nor are the school buildings equipped to be used as cyclone shelters. Hence, there is hardly any plan to temporarily settle the vulnerable households to be evacuated. As entire Rayagada district is poverty stricken and the rooftops of ST-SC-PVTGs are made up of thatches, the devastation will be of huge magnitude, it is feared. Similarly preventive steps have not been taken like stocking enough polythene sheets at block and gram panchayat levels. As most of the interior blocks like Kashipr, Chandrapur, K Singhpur and Gudari are expected to be detached from outside world due to landslides, washing away of culverts and approach roads, bridges, stocking of enough essential food items in these areas has not been made. On the other hand, hoarding of these essential items, especially potato and onion, is hardly monitored by the Civil Supply Department. There is no special plan for the destitute and people with disabilities.
For its marketing and health needs, Rayagada depends heavily upon Vizianagaram and Vishakhapatnam districts of Andhra Pradesh. As both these districts are going to be seriously affected, alternatives like Raipur have been perceived but without any tangible arrangement. The Koraput-Rayagada railway track which very often gets choked due to several landslides during every rainy season is expected to face serious troubles due to incessant rains.