The Regional Office of the IMD here on Monday issued a heavy rain alert (Orange Warning) for several districts in the State in view of a low pressure formed over northwest Bay of Bengal and the adjoining West Bengal-Bangladesh coast.
The IMD said the low pressure area is associated with a cyclonic circulation extending up to 7.6 km above sea level moving in the southwest direction. It is likely to become a well-marked low pressure area in the next 48 hours.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall (Orange warning) is likely to occur at isolated places over the districts of Mayurbhanj, Subarnapur, Keonjhar, Balangir, Bargarh, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Nayagarh and Puri on Tuesday.
Extremely heavy rainfall is also likely in Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Kandhamal, Rayagada and Kalahandi districts.
Several parts of the State would witness rainfall activity in the next three days. Parts of south interior Odisha, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, and Sambalpur would also experience heavy rainfall in the next 24 hours.
As the sea condition is likely to remain rough, fishermen have been warned not to venture into the sea along Odisha coast and northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal in the next 48 hours.
In view of the heavy rains prediction, Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi on Monday wrote to all district Collectors to remain prepared for tackling any possible flood situation.
“The concerned Collectors are requested to keep the administrative machinery prepared to meet any possible situation that may arise in the event of intense rainfall. Areas vulnerable to flood, water logging may be identified in advance and field officials should remain prepared to evacuate people from vulnerable locations to safe shelters, if required,” the SRC stated.
“Advance arrangements may be made for providing adequate food, safe drinking water, and lighting, health and sanitation facilities at all shelters, relief camps and to provide emergency food assistance to the affected people,” Sethi stated.