Cyclone Daye weakens, dumps heavy rain in Odisha
Bhubaneswar, Sep 21: Several parts of Odisha have been experiencing heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms under the impact of cyclonic storm Daye.
The cyclone crossed Odisha coast near Gopalpur in the early on Friday.
It has caused heavy to very heavy rainfall in Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts. Tribal-dominated district of Malkangiri has been the worst affected.
Several rivers in the district including Pangam, Saptadhara, Korukonda were flowing above danger-level while road communication between Malkangiri and Chhattisgarh has been disrupted, an official said.
With water crossing danger level in Balimela reservoir in Malkangiri district, four gates of the reservoir have been opened, said the official.
Reviewing the rainfall situation, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday sanctioned gratuitous relief for seven days at Rs 60 per day per adult and Rs 45 per day for children below 12 years in the Malkangiri district.
Patnaik also directed the district administration to reach out to those affected and extend all assistance to them. Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi said Malkangiri district received 166.25 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours since Thursday.
He said 150 persons were evacuated from Koteru village to safe places while steps were being taken to provide relief material to them.
Due to incessant rain in the upper catchment area, the Kolab Dam authorities in Koraput have opened two gates of the reservoir on Friday.
While the cyclonic storm has weakened into a deep depression and lay over south interior Odisha and neighbourhood, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rainfall at most places and heavy to very heavy rainfall at few places over the state.
The Met department has advised fishermen to not venture into sea along and off Odisha coast during the next 24 hours till Saturday. The state government has also instructed officials to be on the vigil to tackle any emergency situation.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) have been deployed in different districts.
One NDRF team each has been deployed in Kalahandi, Rayagada, Gajapati, Puri, Nayagarh and Kandhamal districts with a total 17 boats and other emergency equipment.
One ODRAF team each has been deployed in Ganjam, Koraput, Nabarangpur and Malkangiri districts. Fire service units in the respective districts were deployed for search and rescue work wherever required.
The holiday of all government offices has been cancelled in the affected districts.
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Punjab: Blast near army cantt area in Amritsar, hours after explosion in Jalandhar
Chandigarh (PTI): An explosion occurred near the army cantonment area in Khasa late Tuesday night in Punjab's Amritsar, the second such incident which took place around three hours after a blast outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar.
According to the police, an investigation into both blast incidents is currently underway, and no injuries have been reported.
The first explosion happened around 8 pm in Jalandhar, while the second blast occurred at approximately 11 pm in Amritsar.
Amritsar (Rural) Senior Superintendent of Police Suhail Mir Qasim stated that police received reports of a loud sound at around 11 pm on a road in Khasa. "Our teams arrived on the scene immediately," he said.
Preliminary inspections indicated that someone had thrown an explosive device towards the boundary wall, leading to the explosion, according to the SSP.
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Police mentioned that a piece of a tin sheet covering the boundary wall had fallen as a result of the blast.
Following the explosion, a team of forensic and bomb disposal squad visited the site to collect samples.
Amritsar Rural Superintendent of Police Aditya S. Warrier, who also visited the scene, confirmed that further investigations are ongoing. Police added that a team of army officials also assessed the situation, after which the area was cordoned off.
CCTV footage from the vicinity shows the explosion occurring at night. A local villager reported that his family was awakened by the loud sound and came outside their home to see what had happened.
Before the Amritsar explosion, a blast took place outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar district around 8 pm on Tuesday, causing panic in the area.
CCTV footage captured the explosion, which resulted in a cloud of smoke. An unidentified man was seen running for cover following the blast.
The blast ripped apart a scooter, damaged a traffic signal pole and windowpanes of a nearby shop. Locals recounted that the scooter, which was parked outside the BSF headquarters, Punjab Frontier, caught fire shortly after a loud sound. It belonged to Gurpreet Singh, who regularly delivers parcels in the area.
Talking to reporters on Tuesday night, one of Gurpreet's relatives said that the scooter caught fire as he was approaching it. He immediately called his father and informed him about the incident.
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur confirmed to reporters late Tuesday that an Activa scooter parked near the gate caught fire suddenly. She stated that Gurpreet is fully cooperating with the investigation.
Witnesses nearby reported hearing a loud sound following the explosion.
On April 27, an explosion occurred at a freight corridor rail track in Shambhu in Patiala. Police had arrested four members of a pro-Khalistan terror module, backed by Pakistan's ISI, for the blast.
In light of these incidents, opposition parties have condemned the AAP government for its handling of the situation.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the home portfolio, over the recent blasts.
"Three blasts in 10 days, two in a single day, May 5: Jalandhar outside BSF headquarters and Sri Amritsar Sahib Army area, April 27: Rajpura rail track. Continued intelligence failures and the collapse of law and order are a matter of grave concern. Chief Minister @BhagwantMann, who is also the state Home Minister, is busy with mimicry and cheap politics. He has forfeited the right to remain in office," Badal said in a post on X.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also slammed the Mann government over the two blasts.
"Back-to-back blasts have shaken Punjab. Yesterday in Jalandhar, and now near Khasa Camp in Amritsar, this is deeply alarming. Who is trying to destabilise our state? Why has the Punjab Government failed to prevent such incidents? What is the Government of India doing? Repeated lapses point to a serious breakdown of intelligence and security. Punjab's peace cannot be compromised. We demand accountability and immediate action," Warring said in a post on X.
