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‘Don’t step out’: Patnaik’s appeal to 4 districts after heavy rainfall forecast
Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik said IMD has forecast intense spells of rain in districts of Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Bhadrak districts from tonight
Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik has advised people of four districts in the path of the deep depression formed over the Bay of Bengal not to venture out on Saturday as the system is all set to cross the coast between Balasore and Sagar Islands by Friday evening.
Patnaik advised people of Balasore, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Bhadrak not to venture out of their homes on Saturday morning as the deep depression after landfall would trigger heavy rainfall in those districts. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued red warning for these districts and predicted extremely heavy rainfall from Friday night.
“The IMD has forecast intense spells of rain in four districts of Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Bhadrak districts from tonight. I appeal to people not to panic but rather follow the instruction of the administration. Every life is precious,” he said.
In Bhadrak, the district administration ordered the closure of all schools and anganwadi centres while in Balasore, all beaches and tourist centres will remain closed on Saturday. Balasore collector Dattatreya Bhaosaheb Sindhe has also directed the officials concerned not to allow the visitors in tourist places – Chandipur, Talasari, Kasaphala, Dagara and Panchlingeswar – on Friday and Saturday. Tourists have also been advised against staying at these places overnight.
The IMD has issued red warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20cm) at a few places with isolated extremely heavy falls (>20cm) for Keonjhar, Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts till 8.30 am on Saturday. Squally wind speed reaching 50 to 60kmph gusting to 70kmph likely to occur in Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts on Friday night.
Heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20cm) is also likely at a few places in Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Angul, Deogarh, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Boudh, Balangir, and Jajpur. Some places in Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nuapada, Ganjam, Nayagarh, Khordha, Rayagada, Gajapati, Nawarangpur, Koraput, Malkangiri and Puri may also experience heavy rainfall during this period.
The school and mass education department has asked the collectors of districts likely to be affected by the flood to use the mid-day meal rice for relief and use school buildings for shelter.
Meanwhile, the flood in Mahanadi river and its distributaries continued to heap miseries on the people as a flooded Dhanua has inundated more than 20 panchayats in Nimapada and Gop blocks of Puri district.
An embankment on the Bhargavi river collapsed in Nimapada on Thursday night inundating hundreds of acres of farmlands and houses. Several roads have been submerged in Astarang, Nimapada and Gop blocks of the district by floodwaters from Devi, Dhanua and Kushabhadra rivers.
In view of the flood situation in the State, the Odisha government announced that fees for treatment and vaccination of livestock would be waived off for 15 days from August 16. In addition, instructions have been issued for free veterinary health camps for the treatment and immunization of livestock in flood-affected areas.
