Incessant rains trigger flood threat
Koraput district faced heavy rainfall, but there were no violent gale winds as predicted owing to the cyclone Hudhud. The predictions on the damage potential of the cyclone had spread nightmare in the whole district.
For the first time ever, the district faced such a severe cyclonic storm like the coastal districts. Since it had been raining incessantly since Saturday night and it is predicted that the rains would go non-stop for another couple of days, it may trigger flash floods in Kolab, Saberi, Sati and Indrabati rivers and cause landslides at several places.
The first four hours since the landfall of the cyclone near Vishakhapatnam were deadly for the denizens here. However, early warnings and evacuation of the vulnerable people had prevented any mishap. The evacuees were staying in nearby schools and pucca houses. Free kitchen had been arranged for the people in the rescue camps. In the rural pockets, certain difficulties in the distribution of relief were reported. Nearly a thousand were evacuated and put up in relief shelters.
A curfew like situation prevailed all over the market and posh locations in the district headquarters town and all other major urban areas across the district. The shops had been shut and there were virtually no vehicles on roads.
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 NDRF and an ODRAF team had reached different locations. Departments like Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS), Health, Electricity, PWD, RTO, PHED, Police, Agriculture etc had been instructed to be alert with their plan of action.