Bhubaneswar: Normal life was thrown out of gear in many places of Odisha due to heavy rain triggered by a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal.
The weather department also predicted more downpours over the districts of Odisha in next 24 hours.
“The Deep Depression over Gangetic West Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 20 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centred at 0630 hours 1ST of 02^1 August, 2023 over the same region near latitude 23.211 and longitude 87.1:E. close to Bankura (West Bengal), about 70 km east-southeast of Purulia Most Bengal) and 180 km east of Ranchi,” IMD bulletin stated.
It is likely to move west-northwestwards across Jharkhand and weaken gradually into a Depression during next 12 hours and into a Well Marked Low Pressure Area during subsequent 24 hours, it added.
Under its influence, heavy rainfall is expected over several places of Odisha. Red warning has been issued for several districts including Sundergarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Bolangir, Sonepur, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Keonjhar and Boudh. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur in these districts in next 24 hours. Similarly, Sungergarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Bolangir, and sonepur, Sambalpur may receive extremely heavy rainfall.
Orange warning has been sounded for Dhenkanal, Mayurbhanj, Nuapada, Kalahandi and Kandhamal. Likewise, Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Nayagarh, Nabarangpur and Jajpur have been put under Yellow warning category.
Boudh recorded maximum rainfall of 390.6 mm in the last 24 hours. Rainfall above 300 mm was recorded at four places. While 390.6 mm was recorded in Boudh, 300.6 in Karanjia, 361.8 mm in Jujumura and 348 mm in Rairakhol. 213.6 mm of rain was recorded in Sonepur, 205.6 mm in Phulwani, 173 mm in Balangir, 150.2 mm in Keonjhar, 150 mm in Angul, 147 mm in Talcher.
Similarly, more than 200 mm of rain has been recorded in 17 places, 67 places reported more than 100 mm rainfall.
Many low lying areas in the State were inundated due to incessant rain. Educational institutions in more than 12 districts have been closed temporarily.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) held a review meeting on the prevailing situation and asked collectors of several districts to provide relief to the affected people.
Collectors of Angul, Balasore, Bargarh, Boudh, Bhadrak, Bolangir, Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Jajpur, Jharsuguda, Kandhamal, Keonjhar, Kalahandi, Mayurbhanj, Nuapada, Subarnapur and Sambalpur attended the meeting through virtual mode.
The state government directed district administrations to deploy teams to clear roads and regulate traffic on waterlogged streets with reports pouring in from different places of rainwater overflowing bridges, a senior official at the SRC office said.
“As the IMD forecast intense rainfall during the next two days, teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force have been sent to Keonjhar and Sambalpur’s Rairakhol for rescue work,” he said, adding that the district collectors are told to take adequate precautionary measures and keep all field-level functionaries to deal with any adverse situation.
National Disaster Response Force teams are being deployed in Bhadrak and Jajpur districts, he said.
People from waterlogged areas are to be evacuated if required, and shall be provided with dry/cooked food and drinking water, the SRC told the district collectors.
He also reviewed the current situation of river systems and reservoirs in the presence of officers of the water resources department and directed them to instruct engineers to stay alert, another official said.
The water level in several rivers such as Brahmani, Baitarani and Bansadhara is expected to rise with intense rainfall, a water resource department official said.
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