Berhampur: Several residents on Tuesday staged a road blockade at Digapahandi in Ganjam district, demanding resolution of the waterlogging problem that plagues the Digapahandi bus stand area. Around 3 feet of rainwater inundated the place after the nor’wester on Monday evening.
The road communication between Berhampur and Rayagada came to a halt for around four hours owing to their protest near the bus stand area in Digapahandi. “Not only commuters, we, the local residents, are facing acute difficulty in travelling owing to flooding in the area after little rain,” said Prabhakar Sahu.
“Despite our repeated demands to the district administration to solve the waterlogging issue, the problem is yet to be solved. We will face difficulty in communication in the ensuing rains when the area gets flooded,” said S Simadri. The agitators alleged that the area gets flooded because of lack of a proper drainage system, even in light rain.
The agitators postponed their protest after the Digapahandi NAC executive officer, Abinash Mishra, and assistant executive engineer, works department, Manoj Moharana, assured them they would take steps to solve the problem, including building a major drain. The civic body has pressed motors to pump out stagnant water.
Meanwhile, a 24-year-old man died and another sustained injuries when lightning struck them near Khairapanak on Monday evening. The deceased was identified as Sridhar Kaniari, a resident of Khairapanka in Bamakoi panchayat. He was returning from the nearby forest after grazing cattle and had taken shelter near a tree when lightning struck him. Local people rushed him to the nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Several roadside trees were uprooted when the winds ripped the area during the storm. Local firefighters and police cleared the uprooted trees from the roads immediately and restored communication, police said.
