Incessant raining in most parts of Odisha for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday added to the suffering of the people in cyclone and flood affected areas and disrupted relief and restoration operations.
Several urban and rural areas were flooded, halting road and rail traffic. "At least 5,000 people, who had returned to their villages in Ganjam district after the cyclone, had to be shifted to relief camps following the heavy rains," said revenue and disaster management minister SN Patro.
He added that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Odisha Disaster Response Force personnel had been sent to affected areas.
The situation might worsen as the Met department stated on Thursday that the rain would continue for another 36 hours, officials said.
Cyclone Phailin hit the beach town of Gopalpur in Ganjam district on the night of October 12 with a wind speed of more than 200km per hour destroying communication systems and power supply in several districts, uprooting trees, overturning trucks and flattening kuchha buildings.
A day later, the waning cyclone caused heavy rain triggering flood in Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts in northern Odisha and catching the state government unawares.
{{/usCountry}}A day later, the waning cyclone caused heavy rain triggering flood in Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts in northern Odisha and catching the state government unawares.
{{/usCountry}}Around 120 million people in 17 districts of the state were affected due to the twin calamities of cyclone and flood. At least 44 people have died, including 23 due to the flood.