Schools to remain shut in 3 Odisha districts due to heavy rains: Officials

Indian Meteorological Department issued a red warning for Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Bargarh and Jharsuguda districts, for Wednesday

Updated on: Jul 28, 2026, 20:36:04 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty, Bhubaneswar

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Schools and anganwadi centres were ordered to remain shut in Odisha’s Jajpur, Bhadrak and Keonjhar districts on Wednesday as incessant rain raised fears of flooding, while Balasore town remained inundated after receiving 246.6mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, officials said.

Flood conditions were expected in the Jalaka, Salandi and Baitarani rivers by Tuesday night. (Stovk Image/Representative Photo)

Authorities warned that the flood situation was turning critical as water levels rose sharply in several major rivers, including the Jalaka, Salandi and Baitarani, following days of heavy rainfall across northern Odisha.

The district administrations of the three districts ordered the closure of all government, government-aided and private schools, along with anganwadi centres on Wednesday as a precaution against the deteriorating weather and possible flood situation.

State’s water resources department engineer-in-chief, Dillip Kumar Rout, said North Odisha received intense rainfall over the past 24 hours, with Nilgiri in Balasore district recording the highest precipitation.

Flood conditions were expected in the Jalaka, Salandi and Baitarani rivers by Tuesday night, he said. The Baitarani is also likely to cross the danger level flooding low-lying areas in Dhamnagar, Dasarathpur and Chandbali blocks.

Also Read:Odisha: Deep depression leads to heavy rains as Baleshwar records 246mm rainfall

Revenue and disaster management minister Suresh Pujari said Odisha received 84% excess rainfall over the past eight days. “We are evacuating people wherever necessary, and arrangements for cooked food have been made by the district administrations for those being evacuated,” he said.

In Balasore district, severe waterlogging paralysed normal life. Residents said that a large part of the town remained inundated with rainwater entering houses in low-lying areas, major roads submerged, and traffic severely disrupted.

Localities including Nuasahi, Gudipada, Chidia Pol and Azimabad witnessed flood-like conditions.

Fire service personnel evacuated residents from a hotel near Chidia Pol and from Telenga Sahi and Postal Colony after floodwaters entered residential neighbourhoods.

Mayurbhanj also faced a flood-like situation after days of heavy rainfall, with water levels in the Budhabalanga and Subarnarekha rivers and several smaller streams continuing to rise.

Meanwhile the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red warning for Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Bargarh and Jharsuguda districts, for Wednesday.

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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