Bhubaneswar: Heavy rain lashed parts of Odisha, including the state capital Bhubaneswar, as the low-pressure area in the Bay of Bengal intensified into a ‘well-marked system’ Friday morning, with the state government geared up to tackle the situation, officials said.
According to a morning bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the low-pressure area has intensified into a ‘well-marked system’ and may develop into a depression over the next 24 hours.
“It is very likely to cross the south Odisha-north Andhra Pradesh coasts in the morning of September 27,” the IMD said.
Under its influence, the entire state will receive heavy rainfall, with the IMD issuing an ‘Orange Alert’ (be updated) of extremely heavy rainfall for the districts of Koraput and Malkangiri. All the districts in the southern region will also receive very heavy rainfall, a senior weather scientist at the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre said.
Meanwhile, the Malkangiri district administration, which has already cancelled the leaves of all government employees in the wake of the situation, also announced the closure of all schools and educational institutions.
“There has been continuous rainfall in various parts of the district, leading to a situation that may be difficult for young children to navigate. Therefore, to avoid any untoward situation and keeping the safety of the children in mind, all government, aided, and private schools will remain closed,” Malkangiri Collector Somesh Kumar Upadhyay said in an order.
Similarly, the district administrations of Koraput and Nabarangpur have also cancelled the leaves of all the employees and instructed them to remain stationed at the headquarters in view of the changed weather situation.
Officials of the Water Resources Department said that 5.64 lakh cusecs of water was flowing through Mundali Barrage near Cuttack at 9 am after release through 20 sluice gates of the Hirakud Dam upstream.
The department put the districts located downstream, particularly in the Mahanadi Delta, on alert and asked the administrations to prepare for a flood-like situation, if it arises.
The tributaries of the Mahanadi River, including Kathajodi, Kuakhai, Daya, Bhargavi, will witness a rise in water levels, they added.
PTI
