Depression Over Interior Odisha To Weaken Further Tonight; Schools Closed In 3 Dists

Bhubaneswar: With Deep Depression over Bay of Bengal triggering heavy to very heavy rain, schools in three districts of Odisha remained closed on Tuesday.

The district administration has ordered the closure of all schools in Koraput district in view of the heavy rainfall forecast. Earlier, Ganjam and Malkangiri administrations had made similar announcements.

In an office order, the Collector and District Magistrate of Ganjam Dibya Jyoti Parida stated all schools and Anganwadi centres will remain closed to avoid any untoward incident.

“All schools and Anganwadi centres in Malkangiri will remain closed tomorrow (Sept 10) as the IMD has issued a Red warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall for the district,” Malkangiri Collector Ashish Patil posted on X.

Torrential rain caused significant flooding in Malkangiri and Koraput. Over 1,000 people have been evacuated from flood-affected areas of these districts. Large parts of Malkangiri remained cut off from both Odisha and Andhra Pradesh ends on Monday. Road communication was also affected at six places in Koraput but the flood water is gradually receding and the situation improved. There was Red Alert for 10 districts till Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Deep Depression over interior Odisha moved northwestwards with a speed of 15 kmph during past 6 hours, weakened into a depression over the same region last night. It moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 22 kmph during past 6 hours, lay centered at 5.30 am over North Chhattisgarh & adjoining interior Odisha, about 90 km west-southwest of Jharsuguda (Odisha), 70 km west-northwest of Sambalpur (Odisha), 120 km east-southeast of Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh) and 170 km east-northeast of Raipur (Chhattisgarh).

It is very likely to move west-northwestwards across north Chhattisgarh and weaken into a well-marked low pressure area over Chhattisgarh and adjoining East Madhya Pradesh around evening of September 10, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed.

There is a forecast for isolated very heavy rainfall in Odisha on September 10. Squally weather with wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely over interior districts of Odisha and adjoining Chhattisgarh and decrease gradually thereafter.

Isolated heavy rainfall may also occur on September 11.