Deep Depression Brings Heavy Rain, Landslide Threat
Kalinga Ghat sealed; red warning for four southern districts as 28 Andhra trawlers take shelter at Paradip
Bhubaneswar: Odisha came under the impact of a deep depression over the westcentral and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal on Wednesday, with the system moving towards the north Andhra Pradesh-south Odisha coast. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the system was very likely to cross the coast between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur by Wednesday night.
The IMD issued a red warning for Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Koraput and Malkangiri, forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy rain at one or two places till Thursday morning. Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds of 50-60 kmph were also likely in these districts.
The adverse weather prompted precautionary measures in southern Odisha. Kalinga Ghat on the Ganjam-Kandhamal border was sealed by the district administration on Wednesday amid the possibility of landslides following persistent rain. Barricades were erected and vehicular movement through the vulnerable hill road was stopped for two days.
Officials said traffic would be restored only after the rain subsides and a technical team inspects the condition of the ghat road.
In Ganjam, continuous rain in Bhanjanagar and Taptapani disrupted normal movement. Muddy water flowing down the hills reached NH-326 near Taptapani, particularly along the Taptapani-Palukhol stretch, disrupting vehicular movement.
A tree reportedly fell on the National Highway near Nidhia Palli village due to strong winds, further affecting traffic.
At Paradip, 28 fishing trawlers carrying 248 fishermen from Andhra Pradesh took shelter inside the port as rough sea conditions prevented them from returning home. The fishermen and their boats were accommodated at the EQ-1 berth as a safety measure.
Local warning signal No. 3 remained in force at Paradip Port, while restrictions were imposed on the entry of ships. Vessels engaged in cargo operations were directed to complete their work and move to safer waters.
Port authorities said the situation was being closely monitored and further safety measures would be taken based on the impact of the deep depression and IMD forecasts.
