Bhubaneswar: Though severe cyclonic storm ‘Michaung’ made a landfall in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh coast, the widespread rain due to its impact caused damage to standing crops in southern Odisha forcing the state government to seek damage assessment reports from district collectors.
The storm, which hit the Andhra Pradesh coast around 12.30pm Tuesday with a windspeed of 100 kmph, has now weakened into a well marked low pressure area. The system is likely to continue to move north-northeastwards and weaken further into a low pressure area during the next 12 hours, IMD said.
Meanwhile, the IMD has withdrawn the warning on fishermen’s entry into the sea and also distance cautionary warnings on ports as the cyclone has fully entered into the land mass.
Under the system’s influence, light to moderate rainfall occurred at most places over south Odisha districts and at a few places in north interior part of the state.
Pottangi (Koraput) recorded 11cm rain followed by Similiguda (Koraput) 9cm, Koraput 7cm, Chitrakunda K Guma (Malkangiri) 6cm, Padia (Malkangiri) 5cm, Nandapur (Koraput) 5cm, Lamataput (Koraput) 4cm, Kotpad (Koraput) 4cm, Jeypore (Koraput) 4cm, Korukunda (Malkangiri) 4cm, Borigumma (Koraput) 4cm, and other places.
The Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, said as much as 42mm rainfall was recorded at Gopalpur between 8.30am and 5.30pm of Wednesday followed by 40.3 mm at Chhatrapur, Nuapada (22.2mm), Khurda (22mm) and Bhubaneswar (21.4mm)
Though there is no more cyclone threat for Odisha, Michaung’s remnants will cause widespread rains in the districts of Koraput, Nawarangpur, Nuapada where yellow warning has been issued up to 8.30am of Thursday, Met office said.
Gajapati district administration had kept all schools shut on Wednesday owing to heavy rains.
Reports from Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Nabarangpur and Kalahandi said normal life was severely hit because of rainfall.
Meanwhile, Odisha’s Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu has asked all district collectors to submit their respective reports on crop damage caused due to impact of the Cyclone ‘Michaung’.
“Widespread rain has occurred across that state during the last couple of days under the influence of ‘Michaung’, which might have caused damage to standing Kharif and horticulture crops. To ameliorate the sufferings of the affected farmers, Agricultural Input Subsidy (AIS), as per norms of the State Disaster Response Fund, will be provided to farmers sustaining crop loss of 33% and above,” SRC wrote to district collectors.
PTI
