Bhubaneswar: Acting on the heavy rainfall warning by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) with the formation of a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, the Odisha government on Saturday asked the district collectors to stay on high alert.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradeep Kumar Jena asked the collectors to keep the administration ready to meet any eventuality.
The national weather agency, in a morning bulletin, said that under the influence of the cyclonic circulation over the east-central Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood, a low-pressure area has formed over the east-central and adjoining north-east Bay of Bengal. The system is very likely to move west-north-west and concentrate into a depression during the next 48 hours.
Under its influence, there will be heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy rainfall across the state from Saturday till the next four days till September 14.
Although the heavy rainfall is expected to help the agricultural activity, it will temporarily cause water-logging in the low-lying areas, underpass roads and occasional reduction of visibility causing traffic congestion in urban areas, the IMD said.
It has also advised the state government to make necessary arrangements for the drainage of excess water and check traffic congestion in the affected areas.
Fishermen are advised not to venture into sea along and off the Odisha coast, north and the west-central Bay of Bengal from September 12 to 14 and those in the deep sea areas are advised to return to the coast by tonight as the squally weather with wind speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting 65 kmph will make the sea condition very rough.
In view of the heavy rainfall, orange and yellow warnings have been issued for the following districts.
September 11
(Yellow warning)
Heavy rainfall at one or two places over the districts of Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Cuttack and Khurda.
September 12
(Orange warning)
Heavy to very heavy rainfall at one or two places over the districts of Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Dhenkanal, Bhadrak and Jajpur.
(Yellow warning)
Heavy rainfall at one or two places over the districts of Ganjam, Balasore, Nayagarh, Angul, Boudh, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Balangir and Mayurbhanj
September 13
(Orange warning)
Heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places with extremely heavy at one or two places over the districts of Angul, Deogarh, Keonjhar, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Sundargarh, Bargarh, Balangir and Sonepur.
(Yellow warning)
Heavy rainfall at one or two places over the districts of Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Boudh, Nuapada, Cuttack, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Balasore and Kendrapada.
September 14
(Yellow warning)
Heavy rainfall at one or two places over the districts of Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Sundargarh and Keonjhar.
