KONARK SUN TEMPLE GETS FLOODED

The world heritage site of Konark Sun temple was knee-deep in water as flash floods triggered by heavy rainfall have claimed 32 lives in Orissa. Tourists have to wade through knee-deep water at the Sun temple since Saturday. “It’s difficult to reach the temple. The government should have unclogged the drains around the temple,” said tourist Sunita Mandal.

Southern Orissa has been severely affected by the flood with the road connecting Koraput and Raygada district cut off by floodwaters. The national highway connecting Sambalpur with Bolangir has also been cut off. Passengers had a tough time as several long-distance buses were stranded on bridges on Rayagada-Koraput road. Vamsadhara river in Ganjam district was flowing above the danger mark. Three people died after a wall collapsed in Rajgangpur area of Sundargarh district. Three women of a family in Cuttack were swept away by the flood waters while they were sleeping in their muddy hut in Balisahi panchayat,revenue department officials said.