Crop loss reported as heavy rain lashes Odisha
Bureau,Odishabarta
Bhubaneswar: Heavy rain pounded southern part of West Bengal and coastal region of Odisha on Sunday affecting normal life, as cyclone Jawad weakened into a depression, the Met department said.
The cyclonic storm is likely to further weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area during the next 12 hours, as a result of which several districts of south Bengal may receive heavy rain till Tuesday morning. Heavy rain affected functioning of Paradip port while reports of crop loss were received from different parts of the State. Fishermen have been asked not to venture into west-central and northwest Bay of Bengal, and along and off Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal coasts during the next 24 hours.
“The depression (remnant of cyclonic storm Jawad) over northwest Bay of Bengal near Odisha coast moved northeastwards with a speed of 25 kmph during the past 6 hours, and lay centred at 5.30 pm over northwest Bay of Bengal close to Odisha coast, about 30 km southeast of Paradip, 120 km east-northeast of Puri and 210 south-southwest of Sagar Island (West Bengal),” the IMD said in its bulletin at 8 pm.
The coastal districts of Odisha were soaked as the remnants of cyclone Jawad reached Puri coast in the afternoon before taking a re-curve in north-northeast direction and reaching Paradip. Later, the system further progressed towards West Bengal coast. As the system reached near Puri, devotees and several organisations in the town started prayer seeking blessings of Lord Jagannath to save the State.
During its northward journey, the depression caused heavy rainfall across Odisha while the districts of Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara suffered the burnt of the rain fury, affecting normal life. The highest rainfall of 201 mm was recorded in Paradip between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm, disrupting loading and unloading of goods at the port.
Jagatsinghpur received an average of 100 mm rainfall. While Paradip got 201 mm rain, it was followed by Erasama (where the 1999 super cyclone made landfall) with 188 mm, Balikuda (130 mm), Nuagaon (123 mm), Kujang (114 mm) and Jagatsinghpur (66 mm).
The Regional Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar issued a heavy rainfall alert for 14 districts in the State in the next 12 hours.
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