Youth goes missing in river during Durga immersion rain plays spoilsport

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Bhubaneswar/Cuttack/Puri, Oct 6 (PTI) A youth went missing during the immersion of idols of Goddess Durga in Salandi river in Bhadrak district as heavy rains induced by a cyclonic circulation lashed the coastal districts of Odisha on Thursday, including in Cuttack and the capital city of Bhubaneswar.
Another youth, who too had gone for the immersion near Baudpur, about four and half kilometre from Bhadrak town, was rescued by the local people from the river, the police said.
The Bhadrak district administration and fire brigade personnel have launched a search for him, the police said.
Rain played spoilsport in the pilgrim town of Puri, where the ritual was postponed by a day, officials said.
The puja organisers had a tough time completing immersion as the heavy rains led to water logging in many areas of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack so much so that out of the 350 idols in the two cities less than 70 idols could be immersed in the artificial tanks created by the administration by 8 PM.
The state government has banned immersion of idols in rivers and other natural bodies to check water pollution and instructed the local administration to create artificial tanks in river banks for the purpose.
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has created three artificial ponds on the banks of Kuakhai and Daya rivers, while the Cuttack Municipal Corporation has dug one at Devigada on the bank of Kathajodi river.
The people did not leave their homes to watch the immersion processions as in the previous years. In some places, the puja organisers even wrapped the idols of the goddess in polythene sheets to protect them from the rain water before their immersion.
Police commissioner Soumendra Priyadarshi said adequate security arrangements have been made and over 300 CCTV cameras were fitted in the twin cities to keep a watch on the immersion processions.
Cuttack recorded the highest 62.6 mm of rainfall and Bhubaneswar 49.3 mm between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm on Thursday, the Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar said.
“Though the coastal districts experienced light to moderate rainfall in the forenoon, the intensity increased in the afternoon and threw life out of gear in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar,” said senior scientist Umashakar Dash.
The low pressure weakened by Wednesday, but the cyclonic circulation along with the activation of monsoon caused widespread rains in Odisha, the weatherman said.
Meanwhile, in Cuttack there was a clash between organisers of two Durga Puja committees during immersion on Thursday during which the two sides threw stones at each other which left some people injured.
Additional DCP Cuttack, Anil Kumar Mishra said both organsiers had been involved in conflict in the past and additional deployment of police was made near the idols to avoid any untoward situation. PTI COR AAM KK
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)