Heavy rainfall expected in flood-hit Odisha, alert sounded

Special relief commissioner PK Jena said at least 261,000 people across 496 villages remained marooned in the state

Published on: Aug 19, 2022, 10:49:43 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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A red warning has been sounded in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts as heavy to very heavy rainfall was expected even as over 500,000 people have been affected by floods in the state.

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik conducted an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas on Thursday. (ANI)

HR Biswas, who heads Bhubaneswar’s meteorological centre, said a depression was likely to turn into a deep depression and move across Gangetic West Bengal, north Odisha, Jharkhand, and north Chhattisgarh and cause heavy rain. “We have sounded the red warning for Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts and an orange warning for Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Angul, Deogarh, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Sonepur, Boudh, Bolangir and Jajpur districts on Friday.” He added that heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20 cm) is likely to occur in these districts.

American Joint Typhoon Warning Center said the depression may turn into a cyclone. “Numerical model guidance indicates that the system will track west-northwestward towards Kolkata and make landfall within the next 36-48 hours. It is expected to peak in intensity within the next 24-36 hours just before making landfall.”

It added the system is expected to track into an area of lower vertical wind shear allowing the system to further intensify. “Maximum sustained surface winds are estimated at 28 to 33 knots. The potential for the development of a significant tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours is high.”

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who undertook an aerial survey of the five flood-hit districts on Thursday, said wherever possible cooked food would be provided to those affected. If the same cannot be arranged, then dry food will be given for the next 15 days.

Patnaik directed officials to provide candles, matchboxes, drinking water, medicines, baby food, and other essentials to the affected persons. He also asked them to undertake damage assessment and provide assistance.

Special relief commissioner PK Jena said at least 261,000 people across 496 villages remained marooned.

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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