Landslide in Rayagada due to incessant rains: Rockfall breaks track, train services interrupted, extensive damage in Rayagada district
Dr.Badal Tah, Odishabarata
Rayagada, October 3: A low-pressure downpour has been lashing Rayagada district for past 24 hours, disrupting normal life and causing extensive damage. Near Majhigarani temple in Rayagada town, a landslide has occurred on the railway track. Due to the landslide in the hill, large rocks have fallen on the train track. As a result, the track has been broken and a pile of soil has accumulated on it & traffic on the railway track from Visakhapatnam to Rayagada has been disrupted. The department has decided to run trains on a single line.
After the incident, senior officers including DRM of Rayagada Division Amitav Singhal reached the spot and continued the rescue work. Samaleswari Express coming from Koraput was stranded in Keutaguda Railway station because of landslides and flowing water on the railway tracks. Some passengers tweeted about their plight to Railway minister and other authorities. The train had to reverse back. Rourkela Express in Tikiri, Hirakhand Express in Koraput were kept stranded for hours. Heavy rains with strong winds in Koraput -Rayagada(KR) line caused fall of slit, mud and stones on the railway tracks, according to rail authorities.
Due to heavy rain, the house of Kalia Mandangi of Tikarpada village of Pipalguda panchayat in Rayagada block collapsed. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident. A landslide occurred in Pipalguda area and soil mounds fell on the PMGSY road. Similarly, in Titimiri panchayat of Gunupur block, the road connecting Titimiri to Bhimpurguda got washed away. As a result, both the villages are cut off. Due to heavy rain, water has entered the drains at various places, which has cut off communication in the rural areas of the district. Putasingh girls’ hostel in Gunupur block has also been extensively damaged. Due to wind, trees have fallen at various places, blocking the road and causing extensive damage.
District Collector Ashutosh Kulkarni has directed Rayagada and Gunupur Sub-Collectors and Tehsildars to provide special assistance in the affected areas. He has appealed to the people living in thatched houses to move to safer places and has directed the RIs, Amins and other officers working at the grassroots level to be alert and look into the matter. For the incessant rains in the district, Dussehra has become completely dull. Even the Ravan Dahan programs scheduled to be held at various places have been postponed.
Several trees have been uprooted due to strong winds. Rayagada town and the peripheral villages are witnessing loadshedding since last yesterday afternoon till writing of this report, ie, almost 12 to 15 hours for which many are facing water and food crunch. Many netizens have not appreciated the casual and lackadaisical attitude of TPSODL, fire municipality and other authorities concerned. Kulkarni is all set to conduct a comprehensive damage assessment after the rains take a halt.
