Bhubaneswar: In response to an imminent flood threat triggered by days of heavy rainfall and rising river levels across Odisha, the Khordha administration has implemented stringent precautionary measures to safeguard lives and ensure operational readiness.
All cschools, including primary, upper primary, high schools, higher secondary institutions, government, government-aided, Odisha Adarsha Vidyalayas (OAVs), and private schools, will remain closed from 1 pm on July 30 until July 31.
District Project Coordinator Sonamika Ray, through the District Project Office of Samagra Shiksha, directed Block Education Officers to ensure that Midday Meals (MDM) are served early on July 30, allowing students to depart by 1 pm. Teachers and non-teaching staff must remain on duty as usual, with no casual leave permitted for the next four days.
School authorities have also been instructed to prepare buildings and infrastructure for potential emergency use, while headmasters and principals must establish 24×7 roster duties to keep facilities operational round-the-clock for any assistance required by the district administration.
The administration has emphasised zero tolerance for any lapses in responsibility, calling for full cooperation with district efforts during the crisis.
Complementing these directives, Collector Amrit Ruturaj have cancelled all leaves for government employees in Khordha with immediate effect for the next four days. Officials must remain at their headquarters and cannot leave without explicit permission from the competent authority. Those currently on leave have been directed to report back to duty.
Meanwhile, all government and private schools, alongside Anganwadi centres, remained remain shut in Bhadrak, Jajpur, Nabarangpur, and Kalahandi on Thursday.
These steps come as Odisha grapples with widespread flood impacts from incessant heavy rains triggered by a deep depression. Northern and western districts such as Baleshwar, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, and others have seen rivers like the Baitarani, Salandi, Jalaka, and Budhabalanga swelling above danger levels, affecting over two lakh people, submerging farmlands, and prompting large-scale evacuations and relief operations involving NDRF, ODRAF, and state teams. School closures have been announced in multiple districts as a broader safety measure amid the evolving weather situation.