25 villagers evacuated after floods hit panchayat area

Koraput: At least 25 villagers were evacuated by the Koraput administration from Digapur panchayat on Sunday following flash floods triggered by incessant rainfall since Saturday.
Officials said floodwaters inundated several low-lying areas, forcing relocation of affected people to the panchayat office for safety. “Cooked food is being provided to the villagers.If necessary, more people will be moved to safer locations,” said Gyanjeet Tripathy, district emergency officer.
Flash floods have hit communication between Kundra and Digapur, with a portion of the Digapur-Ghasarada road submerged. A culvert near Birighat was washed away, disrupting traffic in the area. “The situation is under control. Rainfall decreased by evening. If there is no rain at night, conditions should improve. However, all field officials remain on high alert to prevent any untoward incident,” said Tripathy.
He said adequate medicines have been stocked in hospitals in case of emergencies.
Koraput district recorded 558 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, with Boipariguda block receiving the highest of 170 mm, followed by Jeypore with 120 mm. Incessant rainfall over the recent weeks has raised the water level in the Kolab reservoir, sources said. On Sunday, the reservoir level stood at 80.86% of its capacity, compared to 45% on the same day in 2023. Sources said the current water level is 856 metres, just shy of the reservoir’s full capacity of 858 m.