Bhubaneswar: Heavy rainfall and strong winds triggered by Cyclone Montha have disrupted life across Odisha’s southern districts, with landslides, road blockades, and power outages reported in Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, and Malkangiri.
Kasinagar in Gajapati district and Narayanpatna block in Koraput bore the brunt of the storm, as torrential rain late Tuesday evening caused multiple landslides, blocking key connecting routes. In Boriput village, a massive slide cut off road access, while debris from another at Dhangadijhola rendered stretches impassable. Similar reports from Rayagada and Gajapati said rural roads through hilly terrain remained blocked overnight, isolating forest-fringe villages and halting essential supplies.
Strong gusts uprooted trees and snapped power lines, plunging several habitations into darkness. District administrations in Koraput, Gajapati, Malkangiri, and Rayagada have deployed disaster response teams and excavators to clear debris and restore connectivity. By Wednesday morning, partial clearance was achieved at Boriput, though complete restoration is expected later in the day.
Officials said continuous rain has saturated the soil, raising the risk of fresh slides. The district control rooms remain on high alert, while field teams have been directed to assess damage in low-lying and hilly areas. Energy department personnel have also been pressed into service to repair snapped power lines.
Meanwhile, water levels in the Champavati river surged overnight, submerging parts of a bridge connecting Narayanpatna to interior regions. Locals reported water flowing across the bridge deck by early morning, forcing suspension of vehicular and pedestrian movement.
Cyclone Montha made landfall near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh late Tuesday before weakening into a cyclonic storm over Narasapur.
“The system is likely to weaken further into a deep depression within six hours,” said Dr. Manorama Mohanty, Director, IMD Bhubaneswar. The storm’s centre was located around 20 km from Narasapur and 50 km from Machilipatnam, moving northwestward at 10 kmph.
While Odisha escaped major damage, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places in Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Ganjam, and Gajapati. Wind speeds may reach 55–65 kmph in southern districts, the Met Centre warned, urging residents to remain cautious until conditions stabilize.
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