Bhubaneswar: The flood situation in north Odisha districts, which has affected five lakh people, remained grim Monday even as the IMD has forecast more rains after the low-pressure system formed in the Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression, officials said.
Keeping in view the gravity of the situation, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is likely to undertake an on-the-spot assessment of the calamity in the worst-hit Bhadrak and Jajpur districts later during the day, the CMO said.
It said more than 2.37 lakh people have been evacuated to safety and sheltered in nearly 300 relief camps on river embankments and also in schools.
The state government has cancelled leave for employees, and schools and educational institutions remained closed for the day due to inclement weather.
The IMD cautioned fishermen and advised them not to venture into the sea in the North Bay of Bengal and along the coasts of West Bengal, Bangladesh, Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh coasts till August 18. The sea condition is very likely to be rough due to the impact of the depression, it said
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) National Bulletin noted that based on the 5.30 am situation, Sunday’s well-marked low-pressure area over northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining West Bengal-north Odisha coasts moved nearly northwestwards and concentrated into a depression.
The system at 5.30 am lay over coastal West Bengal and adjoining areas of Bangladesh and northwest at about 80 km west-southwest of Satkhira (Bangladesh), 160 km southeast of Bankura (West Bengal), and 180 km northeast of Balasore (Odisha), it said.
The system is very likely to move northwestwards towards Jharkhand across Gangetic West Bengal during the next 24 hours, an official said, adding that a depression is a weather condition which is stronger than low pressure and less powerful than a tropical cyclone.
With the formation of a depression, the IMD issued a red warning (take action) of very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in certain places of three Odisha districts like Baleshwar, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj.
The IMD has also issued an orange warning (be prepared to take action) for 11 districts of Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Kataka, Sundaragada, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Anugola and Dhenkanal. This apart, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at one or two places in these districts.
The IMD also issued a ‘yellow warning’ (be aware) of heavy rains for the districts of Bargarh, Subarnapur, Boudh, Puri, Khordha and Nayagarh.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg said that around 100 rescue teams have been deployed in vulnerable pockets of north Odisha and senior engineers of the Water Resources Department were rushed to the spot to ensure protection of embankments and mitigate the impact of the calamity. Three senior officers were also rushed to Bhadrak, Jajpur and Balasore districts to monitor relief and rescue operations in the affected areas.
Garg said that the entire administration was on high alert after the IMD forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall for three days August 16, 17 and 18.
These three days are crucial for the north Odisha districts, the chief secretary said and directed authorities to ensure all possible help to the affected people.
Meanwhile, many parts of the state have received heavy to very heavy rainfall during the last 24 hours under the influence of the low pressure. Balasore town has received 93.1 mm of rainfall till 5.30 am Monday, an official said.
