200 villages affected, 500 houses damaged

BARGARH: Around 200 villages in 12 blocks across the district have been affected by  incessant torrential rains over the last three days with more than 500  houses damaged completely and another 600  partially affected.Official sources said while 63.5-mm rain was recorded on Tuesday, it was 104.66 mm on Wednesday while on Thursday, the rainfall was 99.33 mm. The rivers Ong, Danta, Ranj and Matwali are overflowing paralysing traffic on routes connecting Paikmal with Patnagarh, Paikmal-Chhattisgarh, Sohela-Raipur, Padampur-Nuapada while reports of sand cast have been received from Bhatili block. The situation is equally grim with low- lying areas of Rangharpada, Hatpada, Govindpali, Khajurtikra, VSS Nagar and Nadipada in Bargarh town partially submerged and reports of complete collapse of houses being received from Nadipada and Bhatli Chowk area. In Ambabhona block, backwaters of Hirakud Dam have entered households in village Chikli and people have been shifted to relief camps at Ganthiapali. With the  inflow to the dam on the rise, the backwaters of the reservoir are likely to submerge Balitukra, Dalbi, Deshkumbhari, Brahmanitikra in Bheden block of the district.  The rain has damaged 30 per cent of standing paddy crops while 50 per cent of cash crops in the rain-fed areas have also been destroyed.  SONEPUR: In Sonepur residents of villages along the river Mahanadi have been  evacuated while traffic on roads connecting Sonepur with Sambalpur, Birmaharajpur-Rairakhol, Binka-Sambalpur has been disrupted with water flowing above the roads.  In Birmaharajpur sub-division, villages of Baghbar, Deuli, Khambeswaripali,  Phulchaura, Nuagarh, Kumarsingha and Keuntipali along the river Mahanadi have been vacated and the residents shifted to camps. Water has entered villages of Bijepur, Hicuki, Jharapada,  Naikenpali, Chadeipank in Ulunda block, while villages of Managaon-Jharapada, Gulapada, Dundupali-Jharapada, Gariapali and Pandkital in Binka block have been affected.