Odisha plans to airlift 120 stranded in Ganjam amid Cyclone Arnab aftermath
The Odisha government is planning to airlift 120 people stranded in flood-hit areas of Ganjam district due to heavy rainfall triggered by Cyclone Arnab, officials said on Thursday.
Cyclone Arnab weakened into a depression on Thursday and lay centred close to south Odisha triggering heavy rainfall in the districts of Gajapati and Ganjam, causing landslides, road damage, river swelling and inundation of low-lying areas.
Chief secretary Anu Garg said around 2,000 people have been stranded in waterlogged areas of Ganjam, and the state government is coordinating with the Coast Guard to carry out the airlift operation at four locations of the district.
Patrapur in Ganjam recorded the state's highest rainfall of 546mm in the 24 hours ending at 8:30am on Thursday, according to data released by the special relief commissioner's office.
Officials said it was the highest single day rainfall at a single place in Odisha in the last 35 years. Sorada, in Ganjam district, received 503.8mm, while G Udayagiri in Kandhamal recorded 462.4 mm.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) classifies rainfall of 64.5-115.4 mm in 24 hours as heavy, 115.5-204.4 mm as very heavy and 204.5 mm or more as extremely heavy.
Sanakhemundi in Ganjam received 388 mm, followed by Raikia in Kandhamal at 384.8 mm and Chikiti in Ganjam at 309.2mm. Mahendragarh in Gajapati recorded 458.8mm, while Mohana received 299.6mm.
Around 300 metres of National Highway 326 at Ledabandha in Mohana block of Gajapati district has been completely washed away by gushing floodwaters, disrupting vehicular movement between Mohana and Ganjam district.
Also Read: Cyclone Arnab weakens to deep depression; triggers rains in south Odisha districts
Train services have also been affected after water flowed above the danger level over two railway bridges in the Ichchapuram-Jhadupudi section of the Visakhapatnam division. The Railways cancelled nine trains and diverted 14 others on Thursday as a precautionary measure to ensure passenger safety.
Amit Shah assures central support
Union home minister Amit Shah has assured Odisha and other affected states of all possible assistance to deal with the impact of the cyclone.
Shah said he had spoken to the chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, Odisha and Chhattisgarh and assured them of the Centre's support in mitigating the hardships faced by people affected by the disaster.
Also Read: Shah to inaugurate 1857 war memorial in Ambala on November
Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed and are conducting rescue and relief operations on a war footing, he said.
IMD officials said the state's highest recorded 24-hour rainfall was 825mm at Thuamul Rampur in Kalahandi district on July 28, 1991. Sambalpur recorded 581.9 mm on August 19, 1982, while Pottangi in Koraput district received 546mm on October 14, 1931.
Meanwhile, a fresh low-pressure area was formed over the south Andaman Sea and adjoining areas and is likely to become well-marked low pressure area over next 24 hours, IMD officials said.
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