Bhubaneswar: Relentless rainfall continued to batter several parts of Odisha Monday, inundating low-lying areas, disrupting road connectivity and prompting authorities to intensify rescue and relief operations, while one person went missing after floodwaters swept away a motorcycle in Sambalpur district.
Persistent rain has caused severe waterlogging in several districts, including Balangir, Sambalpur and Baragarh, with floodwater entering houses, schools and public buildings and disrupting normal life. Major roads in several urban areas remained submerged, hampering traffic and exposing deficiencies in drainage infrastructure.
In Sambalpur, Fire Services personnel launched a search and rescue operation after two youths were swept away by flash floodwaters near Bagdia Pada on the outskirts of Sambalpur amid heavy rain. One youth was rescued, while the other remained missing at the time of filing this report and is feared drowned. Gobardhan Chand and Suresh Chandra Maharana were travelling on a motorcycle when a sudden surge of floodwater swept them away. One of them managed to swim to safety, while the other was carried away by the strong current.
The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has strengthened its grievance redressal and monitoring system through the 1929 City Call Centre and the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) following reports of waterlogging in several parts of the city.
In Balangir, rainwater and overflowing drains entered houses in several localities, while knee-deep water accumulated on major roads, including Patna Hotel Square, Hospital Road, Railway Station Road and Kadampada railway underpass. Fire service personnel were deployed to pump out water. Residents blamed poor drainage and encroachments on drains and public land for the recurring urban flooding.
Baragarh also witnessed widespread waterlogging after continuous rainfall. Low-lying areas were inundated, with sewage mixed with rainwater entering homes, schools and government buildings. Traffic was disrupted in several parts of the town, while untreated drain water flowed into the Jira River. Residents alleged that unplanned road construction and incomplete drainage projects had worsened the flooding.
Meanwhile, schools will remain closed Monday in Kataka, Boudh, Subarnapur, Nuapada, Kandhamal, Sambalpur and Baragarh districts as a precaution amid the continuing heavy rainfall.
PNN
