Bhubaneswar, June 19: Rain dampened the spirits of city residents during the Raahgiri celebrations this morning as the Southwest monsoon triggered rainfall in the twin cities and most of the coastal districts.
The weathermen have predicted that rainfall will intensify in the state after June 25.
Today, Cuttack and Baripada received rainfall of 17.2mm each while Bhubaneswar and Angul received 11.8mm each. Puri and Chandbali received 9mm and 4mm rainfall respectively.
Those who were out on streets celebrating Raahgiri in Bhubaneswar this morning were found running for shelter when the downpour started this morning.
"The weather was clear this morning. It started raining all of a sudden. We were forced to run for cover. But thankfully, the weather became clear again after a brief spell of rain," said Ramakanta Sahu, a city resident.
The mercury remained below 35°C in most parts of the state after the monsoon reached the state on Friday.
"Monsoon has covered all districts in the state and rainfall will continue in most parts of the state for the next five days under its influence. There will be more-than-normal rainfall this monsoon," said a Met official.
"The rain has definitely come as a relief as we were sweltering in the hot and humid weather. But the intermittent spells of rain throughout the day have also brought with them problems for us. We hope that the temperature falls further," said Anirban Rout, another resident of Bhubaneswar.
The state had received 14 per cent deficit rainfall last monsoon.
While Odisha usually receives 1,144.3mm rainfall during monsoon starting from June to September, it only received 1,031mm last year leading to a drought situation.
Flood drill
In a related development, a mock drill was organised in all 30 districts of the state to take stock of preparedness for a flood situation. Personnel of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (Odraf), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and fire service took part in the mock drill along with district administration officials.
The mock drill on management of flood and cyclone disaster was also conducted in 500 multi-purpose flood and cyclone shelters in the state. The participants also checked the functioning of communication and rescue equipment.
"The purpose of the mock drill was to ensure that emergency equipment are functioning properly. Besides, such mock drills will also create awareness among people for early evacuation during emergency situations," said a fire service personnel. The municipal corporation has decided to complete the desiltation work on 10 natural drainage channels by the end of this month. "We have already identified 27 places that are prone to waterlogging across the city. We will set up a control room and put in place adequate pumps to clear waterlogging," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.
