Parlakhemundi: Normal life was hit as the Nor’wester hit this town as also several other parts of Gajapati district, disrupting rail and road communications Sunday.
Several trains were halted for hours as trees and electric poles got uprooted and fell on the tracks. Road blockades were caused by tree-falls on the highways and elsewhere. Commuters were severely inconvenienced by the resultant rescheduling of trains on various routes.
The Vishakhapatnam-Gunupur passenger train was halted for more than an hour after trees fell on the track connecting Pathapatnam in Andhra Pradesh with Paralakhemundi. Emergency crews were deployed to remove the trees from affected tracks.
Many buses had a tough time plying on the highways also due to the strong winds. Adding to the woes, the storm also resulted in disruption of power supply for hours.
Meanwhile, the weather office has warned of a thunderstorm accompanied by hail and gusty surface winds in 17 districts of the state on Monday. The denizens were advised to stay indoors and take shelter at safe places during this period.
