IMD Sounds ‘Red Alert’ For Very Heavy Rainfall In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: With the low-pressure over the north-west Bay of Bengal intensifying further, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has sounded ‘red alert’ for very heavy rainfall in the south and coastal districts of Odisha for two days on August 14 and 15.

The IMD in its portal has advised the state government to take precautionary measures in these districts.

An IMD release on Monday said that very heavy rainfall would lash the districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, Balangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Sonepur, Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Bargarh, Khurda and Nayagarh which would continue for the next 48 hours up to August 15.

As the sea condition would be very rough during the period, fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea and those who have gone for deep sea fishing have been asked to return at the earliest.

The IMD has also sounded thunderstorm and lightning alert for the 10 districts of Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Nuapada, Bargarh, Balangir, Sonepur, Boudh, Sambalpur, Koraput and Ganjam till 4 pm on Monday and advised people to stay indoors till 4.30 pm. It has also said that there would be extremely heavy rainfall at one or two places in these districts during the period.

Meanwhile, acting on the red alert issued by the IMD, the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) has directed the collectors of the aforesaid districts to remain on high alert to deal with any eventuality.

In a letter, Special Relief Commissioner Bishunupada Sethi has asked the Revenue Divisional Commissioners (RDCs), Fire Services and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to take adequate precautionary measures.