Over 2.37 lakh evacuated as Odisha braces for more rain, IMD sounds red alert

The Odisha government on Sunday, August 16, sounded a high alert across the state after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast extremely heavy rainfall in some areas, following the formation of a fresh low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal.

The state has evacuated more than 2.37 lakh people to safety as heavy rain continued for a second day, adding to the plight of people in flood-hit northern districts, an official said.

Chief Secretary Anu Garg, who reviewed the situation following the IMD forecast, said the leaves of all government employees had been cancelled and those on leave were asked to report for duty immediately.

"We have asked the district collectors to remain on high alert as the IMD forecast very heavy rain for three days from August 16 to 18," Garg told reporters.

She said fresh flooding had affected 5.15 lakh people across 947 villages under 331 gram panchayats in 49 blocks and five urban areas. The state has so far evacuated 2.37 lakh people and sheltered them in 293 relief camps, she said.

Garg said three senior IAS officers had been sent to the worst-affected districts of Balasore, Bhadrak and Jajpur to coordinate with district administrations and monitor relief and rescue operations.

Additional chief engineers of the Water Resources Department have also been deployed to oversee the safety of embankments and carry out immediate repairs in case of breaches, she said.

Around 90 rescue teams including 36 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), seven National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 47 Fire Services teams have been deployed in vulnerable areas, Garg said. Teams from the health, water resources, housing and urban development, and fisheries and animal resources departments have also been deployed in the affected areas, she added.

Additional Chief Secretary of the Housing and Urban Development Department, Usha Padhee, directed all urban authorities to remain on high alert and ensure a prompt, coordinated response to any emerging situation. As a confidence-building measure, Padhee also directed urban authorities to regularly communicate their preparedness and field-level actions through press briefings and social media updates.

The IMD, which sounded a red alert in several parts of the state, advised fishermen not to venture into the sea along and off the West Bengal and adjoining Bangladesh, Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh coasts from August 16 to 18.

In its latest bulletin, the weather office said the low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining West Bengal-north Odisha coasts had intensified into a well-marked low-pressure area over the same region at 2.30 pm on Sunday. It is very likely to move north westwards and concentrate into a depression over the next 24 hours, the IMD said.

According to sources in the office of the Special Relief Commissioner, the flood situation remained grim in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts, which have been affected by flooding in the Baitarani, Brahmani, Salandi, Jalaka and Budhabalanga rivers and their tributaries.

The water level in the Subarnarekha River, which had been rising, receded on Sunday morning and was flowing at 9.21 metres below its danger level of 10.36 metres at Rajghat in Jaleswar, officials said.

Though water levels in some rivers have started receding, authorities are keeping a close watch on the situation following the formation of the fresh low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal.

(Inputs from PTI)