Malkangiri Flood Recovery: Roads and Bridges Reopen, Damage Assessment Underway | Bhubaneswar News
Koraput: Roads, culverts and bridges in Malkangiri district were reopened for traffic on Wednesday as floodwaters began to recede. However, restrictions remain on the Malkangiri-Poteru stretch of NH-326, which has sustained significant damage. Authorities are limiting the movement of heavy vehicles until repairs can be completed.
“The upper layer of Poteru bridge has been slightly damaged, with wiring exposed.Therefore, we are allowing only one heavy vehicle to pass at a time,” said Roopa Roshan Sahoo, revenue divisional commissioner (RDC) of southern division, Berhampur. Sahoo toured the flood-affected areas in Malkangiri to assess the damage on Wednesday.
“Although the situation is gradually returning to normal, the administration has been instructed to maintain sufficient stocks of anti-venom injections and medicines to tackle snakebites and water-borne diseases, which typically go up after floods,” said Sahoo.
Preliminary reports indicated that around 8,830 hectares of agricultural land have been affected, with 278 houses partially damaged and three completely destroyed by floodwaters on Monday and Tuesday.
“Officials have been directed to expedite damage assessment reports so that compensation can be distributed. Field staff have been asked to submit their reports at the earliest,” said Sahoo.
Floodwaters have submerged 12 bridges, with the most affected areas being Motu, Poteru, Girkanapally, Badili, MV-07, MV-03, MPV-16, Undrukonda and MV-57. In a preventive measure, four gates of the Balimela reservoir were opened on Wednesday.
“The released water will flow into Andhra Pradesh, so there is no immediate fear of further flooding in Malkangiri,” Sahoo said.
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Pawan Kalyan, the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, visited flood-affected areas to assess damage and support relief efforts. He pledged Rs 6 crore for relief, including contributions to the Chief Ministers Relief Funds of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The focus is on providing clean water, food supplies, and sanitation.
Despite a decrease in rainfall, Malkangiri district faces severe flash flood conditions with National Highway-326 still underwater, disrupting links with Telangana and Chhattisgarh. Poteru village endures power outages and lacks drinking water. Authorities are focused on restoring essential services and have relocated over 1,787 people to relief camps for safety.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, recalling his September 9 arrest in a skill development scam case, is dedicated to helping flood victims in Vijayawada. He has been visiting affected areas daily to ensure relief efforts and promises continued support. Various organizations are contributing donations to the Chief Minister’s relief fund.
