Under the influence of cyclone Hudhud which crossed the State on Sunday night, Gajapati district witnessed very heavy rainfall that wrecked havoc in the tribal dominated regions during last two days.
The district received 1,677.08 mm rainfall from by Monday morning. It created flood situation in low-lying areas of Parlakhemundi town, Kashinagar, Raigada and Gosani blocks of the district, sources said.
According to a preliminary assessment by Monday evening, as many as 1,528 villages of the district were affected due to heavy rains and around 15,000 houses were damaged in the cyclone. That apart, 27, 973 hectares (ha) of paddy field, 13,166 ha of maize crop, 1,348 ha cotton, 11,450 ha of Mandia crop and groundnut and 13,268 ha of vegetable crops got damaged due to the heavy rainfall, it added.
Power infrastructure was hit due to the cyclone as scores of electricity poles and trees were uprooted. The whole district was grappling with power woes during last two days. As a primary estimate, property worth Rs 4.17 crore was lost due to the cyclone in the district.
Official sources said that flood water entered into 20 villages of Raigada and Gosani blocks in Monday afternoon. The Bansadhara was flowing at 56 meter above its danger level (54.60mtr) at Kashinagar in the district, while the Mahendrataneya received heavy flow of flood water at its upper catchment area. Due to swelling of the Mahendrataneya, low-lying areas of Parlakhemundi town were flooded. Besides, water was flowing a few inches below a bridge on the river connecting neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, it added.
Reports said landslide occurred in three hills in the blocks of Raigada and G Udaygiri. First landslide which occurred at Rasibada village in Raigada area blocked Jiranga Mandal Sahi road, while other two landslides blocked two roads connecting G Udaygiri to Uttarsingh and Jhaliasahi, it added. District Emergency Officer Netrananda Pradhan informed that 76,396 people took shelter at 667 designated centres in the district. The people were given both cooked and dry food, he added.
Pradhan said the district administration had released 1,000 quintals of rice, 114 quintals of dal, 450 quintals of flattened rice and 81 quintals of molasses during last two days.
He also informed that 11 boats were given to the fire brigade to rescue affected people of Mohana, Kashinagar and Gosani areas.