Hundreds of trees uprooted, traffic halted as nor’wester hits capital

Bhubaneswar: A sudden nor’wester tore through parts of the state capital on Saturday afternoon, uprooting hundreds of trees as well as electric poles, leaving major stretches clogged with debris, even as the spell of rain, accompanied by hailstones, and wind lasted barely half an hour.There were no reports of loss of life or injuries till late evening, officials said.Commuters were caught unawares as the storm swept across a compact but heavily trafficked zone in the heart of the city. The impact was largely confined within a four-kilometre radius, from Unit-VI to Jayadev Vihar, affecting neighbourhoods and junctions including Nayapalli, Shastri Nagar, Unit-IV, Lok Bhawan Square, Pump House Square, CRP Square, Delta Square, Fire Station Square and AG Square. The gusts brought down mature trees and large limbs, some of which landed across carriageways and medians, halting traffic for nearly half an hour at multiple locations, including the stretch from Lok Bhawan Square to Jayadev Vihar, which was among the worst affected.India Meteorological Department (IMD), Bhubaneswar, sources said the wind speed during the squall was in the range of 80-100 kmph.Fire and emergency personnel were deployed across the city to cut and remove fallen trunks, uprooted trees and scattered debris, and restore the flow of traffic. “Traffic was soon normalised,” an official said.Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation’s sanitation wing also pressed its teams into service to clear green waste and haul branches and broken trunks from roads and public spaces.At Kalinga Stadium, around 500 tall trees planted for shade and beautification were reportedly uprooted. Janata Maidan, a major public meeting and convention venue, also saw extensive damage, with several trees uprooted and large signboards collapsed.Power supply was also disrupted in many localities, with electricity not restored in several pockets till late evening.