Normal life was severely affected in most parts of the State due to heavy rainfall during the last 24 hours under the influence of a low pressure over the Bay of Bengal.
Sambalpur city recorded a whopping 240 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours while rainwater entered into houses in the low-lying areas in the Nuapada slum, Housing Board Colony, Mudipada, Jagannath Colony and Khetrajpur posing serious inconvenience to people.
In Malkangiri district, road communication between Kalimela and MV-79 was disrupted with four-foot high water flowing over the Kankarkonda and MV-90 bridges even as the water levels of all rivers and tributaries were rising due to incessant heavy rain.
In Bhubaneswar, areas like Acharya Vihar, Iskcon Temple road, Jharpada and Chandrasekharpur, which are prone to waterlogging, were worst hit. Important locations like Mahatma Gandhi Marg and Airport Square up to Forest Park were also flooded with rain and drain waters.
The entire stretch between the Sishu Bhavan to Vani Vihar Square was also flooded.
At Kharavel Nagar, Janpath and Rajmahal Square, the overflowing drains made it difficult for commuters to commute on roads.
In Cuttack too, rainwater flooded the Badambadi, Pattapola, Meria Bazar, Khan Nagar, Roxy lane, Buxibazaar and Bajrakabati areas where people had to walk in knee-deep water. Passengers at the Badambadi bus-stand were the worst sufferers.
Sources said that to evacuate stagnant rainwater, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) authorities have engaged 200 motor pumps while high-voltage pumps have been engaged in the worst-affected areas of Bajrakabati, Matru Bhawan and Matagajapur.
Due to heavy rains, there was thin attendance in almost all educational institutions in most parts of the State.
Meanwhile, the local Met department on Thursday forecast that the State would receive more rainfall over the next 24 hours and also cautioned fishermen not venture into the sea.
“Yesterday’s low-pressure area over northwest Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast now lies over northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas of coastal Odisha and West Bengal today. The associated upper air cyclonic circulation extends up to mid-tropospheric levels,” said an IMD bulletin.
It said rain or thundershowers are likely to occur in Odisha over the next 24 hours.
Heavy to very heavy rainfalls are likely to occur at one or two places in the State with extremely heavy rainfall at one or two places in interior districts during next 24 hours.
“Gusty surface wind with speed reaching 35 to 45 kmph gusting 55 kmph may prevail along and off the Odisha coast. Sea condition would be moderate to rough in Odisha coast. The height of sea wave may increase up to 3 to 4 metre along Odisha coast,” the IMD said.