Bhubaneswar: The intensity of rainfall has declined across Odisha with the depression moving in a west-northwesterly direction, while the administrations have started repairing damaged roads and bridges in the affected districts.
The IMD forecast heavy rainfall in Malkangiri, Koraput, Bargarh, Nuapada and Nabarangpur districts Thursday, but no such warning has been sounded for Friday and the day after.
“The depression over Odisha has moved west-northwestward, and lay centred about 70 km east-southeast of Titlagarh. It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and weaken gradually into a well marked low pressure area during next 12 hours,” the latest bulletin issued by the IMD said.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) BP Sethi said the state had recorded an average rainfall of 29.7 mm in the since Wednesday with Malkangiri district receiving the highest average rainfall of 165.3 mm.
Five other districts – Nuapada, Kalahandi, Koraput, Bolangir and Nabarangpur – have received an average rainfall between 50 mm and 100 mm, the SRC said. With this, the cumulative average rainfall in the state from June 1 till August 16 comes to a surplus of 11.5 per cent over the long-term average.
Nine districts have received surplus rainfall of more than 19 per cent, whereas 19 other districts have received normal rainfall during the period from June 1 to August 16.
Average rainfall of the remaining two districts — Sundargarh and Deogarh — has remained deficit, the SRC said.
Sources in the Revenue and Disaster Management Department said six districts — Kalahandi, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Bolangir and Boudh — have been severly affected by rains over the last three days. At least two persons were killed and another reported missing in rain-related incidents across the state Wednesday.
