Coastal Orissa badly hit by cyclonic storm

Bhubaneswar, May 25 (PTI) Life was thrown out of gear in
several parts of India's eastern coastal state of Orissa due
to heavy rains accompanied by high-velocity wind Monday under
the impact of a cyclonic storm, even as tidal waves lashed
some areas.

As the cyclonic storm -- Aila -- lay centred at about 140
km east-south-east of Chandbali, a place located around 100 km
north-east from here, incessant rains triggered by it
submerged low-lying areas in coastal districts like Cuttack,
Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore, official
sources said.

High velocity gale with speed as high as 80-90 kmph
uprooted a large number of trees in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara
and Cuttack districts, blocking several roads and disrupting
vehicular movement, they said, adding that no loss of life was
reported so far.

Life was paralysed in Satabhaya and Kanhupur villages in
Kendrapara district, perenially prone to sea erosion, after
tidal waves lashed into human settlements since Sunday,
forcing residents to shift to higher grounds and safer places.

People of Kanhupur village have taken shelter in a local
panchayat building while some of them moved to a nearby
village, sources said.

About 1,000 hectares of farm land were salinised with
tidal waves spilling over Atharbanki, Gabajidiha, Jagatjori,
they said and added that similar ingress of sea waters was
reported in parts of Chakada, Gohua and Tantiapala villages.

Tidal waves also swept about 1,000 hectares of
agriculture land in Ersama area of Jagatsinghpur district
where about 400 thatched huts were damaged.

Water-logging severely affected road traffic in several
places including Cuttack, Paradip and Jagatsinghpur, giving a
tough time to office goers, they said, adding that electricity
supply was also hit in many places.

In the capital city of Bhubanesawar, power supply was
disrupted for about seven hours in several localities
including Bapuji Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Patia, Chandrasekharpur
and Jayadev Vihar this morning.

Electricity supply remained disrupted since last night
due to snapping of power lines in Kendrapara, while many parts
of Balasore district also remained without electricity for
over eight hours, sources said.

Low-lying areas of Cuttack like Sutahat, Friends Colony,
Patapola and Police Colony were flooded due to continuous
rain, affecting vehicular movement and forcing shops and
business establishments remain closed in some localities.

According to Met office, the cyclonic storm is likely to
intensify further and move in a near northerly direction and
cross West Bengal coast near Sagar Island shortly.

As sea condition would remain high and rough along and
off Orissa coast, fishermen were advised not to venture into
sea and completely suspend fishing. PTI SKN
PMR