Schools and colleges in three northern Odisha districts will remain closed on Monday after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for extremely heavy rain of 20cm, as more than five lakh people are still grappling with flood due to incessant rains.
On Sunday, Odisha received 953mm of rain between June 1 and August 16, 27% above normal. (HT sourced photo)
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Educational institutions in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Baleshwar districts will remain closed on Monday following forecasts of heavy to very heavy rainfall. The Baleshwar district administration said the closure applied to both government and private schools and colleges.
The IMD has forecast heavy rainfall across Odisha from August 16 to 18, with rain expected to intensify on Monday before easing on Tuesday.
The weather system is linked to a fresh low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas, which is expected to move northwestwards and become more marked over the next 24 hours.
It also forecast squally weather, with winds of 40-60kmph, over parts of the Bay of Bengal and along the Odisha coast through August 18.
On Sunday, Odisha received 953mm of rain between June 1 and August 16, 27% above normal.
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On Sunday, Odisha received 953mm of rain between June 1 and August 16, 27% above normal.
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Flooding has affected 49 blocks, five urban areas and 331 gram panchayats, with about 5.15 lakh people affected and 2.37 lakh evacuated, Garg said. The government has opened 293 relief camps and cancelled leave for officials, directing them to remain in the field.
In Jajpur, floodwaters from the Baitarani and Brahmani inundated large areas, marooning residents and damaging crops. The Baitarani was flowing above danger levels at several locations, including Akhuapada, Ballavighat and Dasarathpur. The Dasarathpur, Bari and Rasulpur blocks were among the worst affected, with floodwaters entering homes and damaging paddy and vegetable crops.
In Bari, rising Brahmani waters caused another section of an embankment at Banksahi to collapse, while villages including Chandanpur and Arual were inundated.
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School inundated
Meanwhile, students at Kulasahi residential school in Kendrapara district were stranded after the Brahmani overflowed. Rescue teams were mobilised to evacuate them as rising water affected nearby low-lying areas.
Portion of NH-53 collapsed
In another incident in Kendrapara, a newly constructed section of National Highway 53, collapsed at Nilanchal Bazar near Marshaghai amid continuous heavy rain, causing three heavy trucks to lose balance and overturn. The 77-km highway corridor connects Chandikhole with Paradip Port and is an important commercial route.
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.
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Home/India News/Schools shut in 3 Odisha districts amid heavy rainfall as IMD issues ‘red alert’
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