Deep pressure zone hits coast near Puri, possibility of heavy rains, alert in 10 districts

Odisha News: After the deep depression over the Bay of Bengal hit the coast near Puri in Odisha on Monday, the state government has geared up for relief and rescue operations in the coastal districts affected by this weather system. There is a possibility of this happening. . The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that a deep pressure area is a more intense phase of a low pressure area and it usually forms before a cyclonic storm. Manorama Mohanty, director of the Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, said that whether it is a pressure area or a cyclone, any weather system takes time to arrive. The existing depression hit the coast between 10.30 am and 11.30 am with strong winds of 55 to 65 kilometres per hour. Earlier, the IMD had said in a bulletin that this deep depression will continue to move northwestwards maintaining its intensity till Monday night and will weaken into a depression by midnight.

Fishermen are advised not to go out to sea.

The Meteorological Department has forecast heavy to very heavy rain (7-20 cm) in 10 districts of Odisha, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Nayagarh, Khurda, Balangir, Boudh, Malkangiri, Koraput, Navrangpur and Puri till 8.30 am on Tuesday. A ‘take action’ advisory has been issued. During this period, heavy rain has been forecast at different places in Cuttack, Angul, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Sonpur districts. The department has advised fishermen not to go near the sea till September 11. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi held talks with Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari and directed senior officials and district officers of Malkangiri and Koraput to take immediate steps to guide and assist the district administration in relief and rescue operations. Majhi has also asked officials of coastal districts to remain on alert.

Malkangiri received 253 mm of rain

Malkangiri received 253 mm of rain in a 24-hour period ending at 8.30 am on Monday, blocking roads. Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) DK Singh has already deployed 18 ODRAF (Odisha Disaster Rapid Response Force) teams in Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Boudh and Balangir districts. The state government has also kept 12 other teams ready in Ganjam, Khurda, Puri, Nayagarh and Boudh. According to officials, fire service and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel have also been deployed in the rain-affected districts. An official said that so far 560 people (56 in Koraput and 504 in Malkangiri) have been evacuated from low-lying areas and shifted to six relief camps. Around 150 houses have been damaged. Other areas that received heavy rainfall in the 24-hour period ending 8.30 am on Monday include Chitrakonda and Khairput blocks of Malkangiri (over 200 mm), Korukunda, Maithili, Kalimela blocks of the same district and Borigumma in Koraput district, Boipariguda, Lamtapur. The block recorded over 100 mm of rainfall. The Meteorological Department said that during the said period the state received an average rainfall of 30.4 mm. Malkangiri district officer Ashish Ishwar Patil on Tuesday announced closure of all schools and Anganwadi centres due to bad weather. Meanwhile, Chief Engineer (Water Resources) Chandrashekhar Padhi told reporters that there may be minor flooding in the Mahanadi river due to the impact of the deep pressure area. He said the water level in Hirakud dam is 623.93 feet while its total storage capacity is 630 feet.

Secretary reviewed the situation caused by heavy rains in the state

Odisha Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja reviewed the situation at an emergency meeting on Monday to assess the state’s preparedness for the flood situation in Malkangiri and Koraput due to incessant rains in Odisha since Saturday. The meeting was attended by senior officials including Additional Chief Secretary, Secretary, Water Resources Department, Deputy Director General (Law and Order), Special Relief Commissioner, OSDMA and other senior officials from other concerned departments. To expedite relief and rescue efforts in view of heavy rains in Malkangiri, the state government has directed Sudhanshu Shadangi, Director General, Fire Service Department, Indian Administrative Service, to work along with the district administration and restore normalcy in the area. Officials including senior IAS officer Vishnupad Sethi and DIG Charan Meena have been sent.

Instructions to officials in urban areas to remain on high alert

Life has been disrupted due to heavy rainfall in several parts of the state, especially in Malkangiri and Koraput districts. Heavy rainfall is forecast in several areas during the next 48 hours. In view of the possibility of waterlogging of rainwater in several areas due to this possible heavy rainfall, Usha Padhi, Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development, today asked the Commissioners of all metropolitan corporations including the Municipal Corporation and executive officers of other urban corporations. The agencies have been directed to remain on high alert. The executive officers have been advised to keep pumping equipment ready for low-lying and waterlogging-prone areas. Urban development agencies have been advised to immediately activate their control rooms. The virtual meeting was attended by Special Secretary Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, Director, Municipal Corporation Dekshis Singh, Director, State Housing Gangadhar Naik, Additional Administrative Secretary Ravindra Kumar Sahu and senior officials of the department.

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