IMD Predicts Flood Threat In Odisha, Asks State Government To Be Alert

Bhubaneswar: There is a likelihood of flood in three major rivers in Odisha as the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rain in the upper and lower catchments in the next 24 hours.

An IMD release on Wednesday said that a cyclonic circulation has formed over the West-Central Bay of Bengal and lay centred off South Odisha and North Andhra Pradesh. Under its influence there will be heavy rainfall at one or two places in Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Nabarangpur and Ganjam districts in South Odisha.

There will be a further increase in the rainfall from July 6, during which there will be heavy to very heavy rainfall in Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Jharsuguda and Deogarh districts, the release added.

IMD has sounded heavy rain alert in Odisha on July 6 and advised the state government to keep itself ready for any eventuality.

As the IMD has also said that there will be very heavy rainfall in the neighbouring Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh from July 5 to 9, there is a possibility of flood in Mahanadi, Brahmani and Baitarani rivers.

Though the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) is yet to make an announcement to this effect, people living near these river banks are in a state of panic, sources said.