Heavy Rainfall Warning: CM Asks Collectors To Remain Alert

Bhubaneswar: Following heavy rainfall warning by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in 14 districts of Odisha for the next 48 hours, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday asked the district collectors to remain alert to deal with any calamity.

Presiding over a high-level review meeting at the State Secretariat here, the Chief Minister also asked the collectors to ensure that school and college students, who are participating in the Independence Day parade in the state on Wednesday, face no difficulty due to heavy rainfall.

Among others, chief secretary, DGP, development commissioner, additional chief secretary, Home, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), senior police officials, BMC Commissioner and director, Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, were present.

Briefing mediapersons after the meeting, SRC Bishnpada Sethi said according to the Met forecast, heavy rainl would lash 14 districts of the south, north and coastal areas from the evening on Tuesday. The rainfall would continue for the next 48 hours till August 15.

“In view of the heavy rainfall warning, the Chief Minister has directed the collectors of these 14 districts to remain on high alert and take adequate precautionary measures. Besides, the collectors have been asked to stock relief materials in each block,” he added.

Stating that there would be extremely heavy rainfall in eight districts of Puri, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Khurda, Kandhamal, Sambalpur, Boudh, Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur in the next 24 hours, he said the ODRAF and 10 NDRF units are being kept in readiness for rescue and relief operations.

“In case of emergency, people living in low-lying areas of these districts would be shifted to the cyclone shelter houses,” the SRC pointed out.

Talking about the rainfall in the last 24 hours, he said barring Deogarh, Balangir and Sundargarh districts where there has been comparatively less rainfall, the remaining 27 districts have received more rain than the average rainfall while 12 blocks have received more than 100 mm rainfall. “Till date, there has been 5 percent more rainfall than the average rainfall in Odisha,” he pointed out.

He also said that the collectors would take a decision to announce government holiday in their respective districts, considering the intensity of the rain.

Asked whether there is any flood situation in these districts, Sethi said all major rivers are flowing under the danger mark.