Schools, anganwadis in 2 Odisha districts to remain shut today over heavy rainfall warning

Schools in Odisha's Malkangiri and Ganjam districts will remain closed on Tuesday following heavy to very heavy rainfall alert by the IMD.

Updated on: Sep 10, 2024, 09:03:56 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty, Bhubaneswar

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Officials in Malkangiri and Ganjam districts announced the closure of all schools and anganwadi centres in the districts on Tuesday following prediction of heavy to very heavy rainfall alert in the region due to a deep depression over Bay of Bengal that passed through Odisha coast on Monday.

IMD officials said Malkangiri and Ganjam districts are going to witness heavy to very heavy rainfall on Tuesday (HT Photo)

IMD officials said Malkangiri, which is witnessing massive submergence due to rain over last 2 days, and Ganjam districts are going to witness heavy to very heavy rainfall on Tuesday and the weather department has sounded alert to these districts.

Also read: Rain to revisit Lucknow, central U.P. tomorrow

The IMD has issued a red alert citing in these two districts with prediction of heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20cm) at a few places with isolated extremely heavy rainfall (>20cm)apart from Koraput, Nawarangpur, Kandhamal, Nayagarh, Khurda, Puri, Bolangir and Boudh.

Malkangiri is now facing a flood-like situation after it was battered by heavy rains forcing the state government to depute Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force personnel and a team of senior government officials. At least 3 blocks of Malkangiri district have witnessed rainfall of over 200 mm in a span of 24 hours with Malkangiri Sadar block alone receiving 253 mm of rain. Six blocks in Malkangiri and Koraput districts received more than 100 mm of rainfall till 8.30 am. Over 1,800 people had to be shifted to safer places in Malkangiri as storm water submerged roads and bridges.

Also read: Andhra Pradesh braces for heavy rainfall; red alert issued in three districts

"The heavy downpour have severely affected Malkangiri with floodwater is overflowing all the bridges from Pangam to Motu Road in Malkangiri, affecting road communication at eight places. Six villages in Malkangiri and Kalimela blocks have been affected, while 504 people so far been evacuated and sheltered in four relief camps. Six units of ODRAF have been deployed in the district. Vehicular movements came to a standstill as National Highway-326 got completely submerged under water," said special relief commissioner DK Singh after a meeting to review the preparedness measures to deal with the flood situation in Malkangiri and Koraput.

Also read: Heavy rains continue to batter Gujarat; IMD issues red alert for fresh downpour

In Koraput, power generation at Machkund Hydroelectric Project was temporarily halted after flood water seeped through the walls of the dam. Floodwater entered Unit 2 of the hydro power project leading to temporary closure of the unit on Monday.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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