Other States - Orissa

Rain affects normal life in State

— Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty

A couple is trying to protect its child from rain in Bhubaneswar Monday.

BHUBANESWAR: Normal life was on Monday severely affected as heavy rain lashed most parts of Orissa under influence of low pressure area which became well marked over the Bay of Bengal in the afternoon.

Meteorological centre at Bhubaneswar said the inclement weather would prevail for next 48 hours.

Intermittent rain that had been continuing since Sunday got heavier on Monday. Rainwater entered low-lying areas of several coastal towns.

The immediate casualty was the campaign for elections to urban local bodies that had peaked during last three days. Many candidates remained in-door and contacted their key persons over telephone.

In the capital city, the rainfall was recorded at 37.5 mm during the day compared to 7.4 mm of rainfall during the previous 24 hours. The port town of Paradip experienced heavy rain recorded at 89 mm, which was the highest in the State. Previous 24 hours too witnessed widespread rains at Paradip, which was measured at 57. 5 mm.

Puri, Chandbali and Cuttack also received substantial rainfall during the day, which was recorded 29.6 mm, 41 mm and 35 mm respectively.

“The well-marked low pressure area that has formed over north Bay of Bengal is likely to concentrate into a depression. Under its influence, heavy rains are forecast over most parts the State,” said S. C. Sahu, director of Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre.

Wind speed reaching 45-55 km per hour from northwesterly direction was likely to prevail along and off Orissa coast while sea condition would be rough to very rough, Mr. Sahu said. Fishermen were advised not to venture into the sea, he said.

However, widespread rain reflected a positive development for farming community in the State. Almost 19 districts had reported scanty rainfall during August. Agriculturists had warned if dry spell continued for a few days more, it would spell doom for farmers.

CUTTACK: Inclement weather and incessant rains all through the Monday severely affected the normal life in the millennium city. More particularly, the puja revellers were saddened as rain played spoilsport in their preparation for the immersion ceremony of Ganesh idol.

Similarly, Viswakarma puja on Tuesday is going to be a low-key affair as the met offices predicted more rain for next four days. Earlier limited to only workshops and service stations, Viswakarma puja was catching up in the State, including in the city. But the puja on Tuesday is not going to be same as in recent past.

Particularly the poor road conditions in the city have taken the sheen out of the festive mood of the people. “Except the Ring Road around the city, not a single road of the thousand-year-old city is motorable. Commuters are facing untold miseries negotiating the pot-hole-filled streets, thanks to slipshod attitude of the local civic body”, rues Pravakar Mishra, a city college teacher.

Organisers having set up pandals for Ganesh puja during last two weeks had plans to have a grand immersion ceremony. But the rain on Monday forced them to take out the processions without fanfare and immerse the deities in water bodies missing the usual pomp and gaiety. Many processions in the city were seen without the accompanying musical parties as the rain forced the band parties to remain indoors.

But with the biggest festival of the city, the famous Durga puja only over a fortnight away, the people here are a much worried lot. Even as most people of the city have chalked out plans to go elsewhere outside the city to enjoy the puja holidays, some diehards who never miss a date with puja in Cuttack are in a dilemma.

“I am not sure if I can go on a pandal-hopping this time because of the dilapidated roads of the city”, said Dilip Das, a 40-year-old man of Telenga Bazaar. Blaming the civic body authorities for not repairing the roads in time, Jayadev Prusty of local Chauliaganj claims that he would miss the Cuttack Dussera, first time in his life of 55 years for he has plans to go to Mysore during the puja holidays.

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