15-07-2025
24 families evacuated as heavy rain floods Rourkela
Rourkela: Twenty-four families have been evacuated and provided shelter in a govt school following severe waterlogging in Rourkela's Balughat area. The evacuation was carried out in two phases after heavy downpour on Sunday night.
"Twenty families were evacuated on Monday evening followed by four more on Tuesday. All affected families are currently sheltered at the Government UP School in Balughat," said A Patnaik, assistant commissioner, Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC).
The continuous rainfall, which lasted until Monday morning, exposed the city's inadequate drainage system, leaving several areas submerged and triggering public outrage.
Key areas affected include the TCI underpass, Dandiapalli, Dayanand Nagar, Biswakarma Vihar, Nala Road, Malgodown, and Tungritola.
The Rourkela railway station was hit hard with parking spot no. 5, a Smart City project, witnessing waist-deep water. Numerous vehicles, including cars and auto-rickshaws, were partially submerged, causing engine failures. The flooding also disrupted school transportation.
Collector (Sundargarh) Manoj Satywan Mahajan accompanied by RMC commissioner Ashutosh Kulkarni visited the worst-affected slum areas to assess the situation and oversee relief operations. The RMC has deployed sanitation teams with earthmovers to create water drainage passages while also distributing cooked meals among affected residents.
