Heavy rain batters Odisha; IMD says more in store, districts on alert

Bhubaneswar, Sep 24 (PTI) Normal life came to a grinding halt in Odisha on Wednesday as all the 30 districts received around 60 per cent more rainfall than normal, even as the IMD forecast more downpour till September 27, prompting the state government to put all districts on alert, officials said.

While the ongoing low-pressure area has already triggered heavy rainfall across the state, the weather office has forecast the formation of another low-pressure system on Thursday, leading the authorities to take precautionary measures, they said.

"Districts under Orange and Yellow warnings should keep the administrative machinery ready to face any eventuality," Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) office said in a letter to all the district collectors.

The IMD has issued an orange warning (be prepared to take action) of heavy to very heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning with wind speed reaching 30-40 kmph at one or two places over the districts of Koraput, Nawarangpur and Nuapada.

Similarly, the weather office issued a yellow warning (Be aware) of rain and thunderstorm with lightning and wind speed reaching 30-40 kmph for 27 other districts till 8.30 am of Thursday.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) also stated that sea condition is very likely to be rough to very rough and cautioned fishermen not to venture into along and off Odisha coasts and North and Westcentral Bay of Bengal from September 24 to 28.

"The low pressure which is likely to be formed on September 25 may further intensify and take the form of a depression which could cause heavy to very heavy rainfall in many parts of the state," a senior weather scientist at the Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, said.

The possible depression over the northwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal, South Odisha and Andhra coasts, will cross the south Odisha-north Andhra coasts on the 27th, said Manorama Mohanty, the director of Meteorological centre, Bhubaneswar, adding that the state will experience rainfall activities for four more days.

Meanwhile, reports available from the districts of Sambalpur, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nuapada and Bolangir said several areas, including towns of Sambalpur, Bolangir, Patnagarh, Nuapada and some others, were facing waterlogging.

The civil authorities are using pumps to drain out rainwater which entered houses of people.

According to the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), Burla town in Sambalpur district received 226 mm rainfall over the last last 24 hours till 8.30 am of Wednesday followed by Hatadihi in Keonjhar (180 mm), Ambadhona in Bargarh district (180 mm), Dhankauda in Sambalpur district (178.2 mm) and Sambalpur (177.1 mm).

A report from Koraput district said the district administration has cancelled the leaves of government employees till September 28 amidst heavy rain warnings by the IMD.

The second landslide at Kalinga Ghat located along Ganjam-Kandhamal border has forced the administration to close the road till September 30.

A report from Malkangiri district said collector Somesh Kumar Upadhyay has cancelled all types of leaves for government officials and employees till September 28 in view of the IMD’s forecast of heavy rain over the next two days.

Sambalpur town, the epicentre of the state's western region, has been encountering severe waterlogging as continuous rainfall over the past 48 hours disrupted normal life.

The town recorded 177.1 mm of rainfall in 24 hours, officials said.

The deluge like situation in Sambalpur likely to aggravate after authorities of the Hirakud Dam opened four more sluice gates to regulate the rising water level in the reservoir. So far, excess rainwater from the dam is being discharged through 12 sluice gates. PTI AAM AAM MNB