Bhubaneswar: Heavy rain in Odisha will continue for the next 48 hours as the well-marked low pressure over the northwest Bay of Bengal has intensified into a depression, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in an afternoon release on Saturday.
“The well-marked low pressure area over northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining West Bengal and Odisha coasts has concentrated into a depression and lay centred over the northwest Bay of Bengal about 120 km east-¬south-east of Balasore and 130 km east-¬north-east of Chandbali at about 8.30 am today. The system is very likely to move the west-north-west direction and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coast between Chandbali and Digha, close to Balasore around in the evening. Under its influence, moderate rainfall and thundershower are likely to occur at most places in Odisha with heavy to very heavy rainfall at few places and extremely heavy rainfall at one or two places over South Odisha and the districts of Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Angul, Deogarh and Sambalpur districts,” the release said.
He also said the local fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea as the conditions would be very rough during the period.
In the last 24 hours from 8:30 am on Friday, Puri recorded the highest rainfall of 269 mm followed by Cuttack 211.2 mm, Bhubaneswar 195 mm, Koraput 185 mm, Bhawanipatna 126 mm and Titlagarh 109 mm.
Meanwhile, a high-level review meeting at the State Secretariat discussed the situation.
Presiding over the meeting, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik directed the departments concerned to keep all district control rooms operational round-the-clock and collect minute details about the water level of all major rivers and tributaries.
Taking note of the severe waterlogging in all major cities, he directed the civic authorities to evacuate rainwater using high-powered pumps at the earliest.
The Chief Minister directed the Revenue and Disaster Management department to keep the ODRAF and Fire brigade team on alert for rescue and relief operations.
He also directed the authorities of the Cuttack and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporations to provide cooked food to the people in the water-logged areas.
The Health department was also asked to ensure adequate stock of medicines and keep the medical teams in readiness to provide emergency health care services to the people in the affected areas.
Talking to mediapersons after the meeting, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethy said the people of some marooned villages in Malkangiri district and Jaipatna block in Kalahandi districts have been rescued.
Barring the death of a couple in Kalyansinghpur block of Rayagada district, no such incidents have been reported from any district so far.
Talking about the flood situation, the SRC said though the water level in major rivers including Jalaka, Rushikulya, Brahmani, Baitarani, Bansadhara is on the rise, it has not touched the danger level.
He also informed that 317 Fire units and 20 ODRAF teams are ready to tackle any possible threat.
Sethy also said that the provision of cooked for the people in low -ying areas of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar has been made. While cooked food has been provided to 16,00 people in Cuttack, similar arrangements are being made in Bhubaneswar, he added.
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