Puri: Continuous rainfall has disrupted the smooth supply of firewood by the Odisha Forest Development Corporation (OFDC), affecting both the preparation of Mahaprasad at the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri and cremation at Swargadwar here.

The OFDC supplies firewood daily from its Astaranga depot to the Shree Jagannath Temple and Swargadwar. The wood is first stocked at Bali Ghai here before being transported to the two locations.

However, persistent monsoon rains have hampered the movement of timber from forest areas, leading to a sharp decline in supplies. Only one truck carrying around 130 quintals of firewood is currently being dispatched daily from the Astaranga depot, compared to the usual two truckloads.

The shortage has raised concern for the preparation of Mahaprasad at the temple, where large quantities of firewood are used for cooking. At the same time, Swargadwar is facing a scarcity of wood for funeral pyres.

Astaranga's casuarina wood is particularly preferred for cremations at Swargadwar. However, waterlogging at the Astaranga timber depot and difficulties in transporting logs due to heavy rainfall have further worsened the situation.

Officials said the supply is expected to return to normal once the rainfall subsides and transportation from forest areas resumes without disruption.