Bhubaneswar, Aug 2 : All government and private schools in 13 districts in Odisha were closed by their respective collectors in view of incessant rain triggered by a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal.
The state experienced heavy rainfall and received an average rainfall of 83.8 mm during the last 24 hours. The highest rainfall of 390.6 mm was recorded in Boudh Block of Boudh district.
Four blocks have recorded rainfall of more than 300 mm, 17 Blocks more than 200 mm, and 68 Blocks have received rainfall between 100 mm and 200 mm, Met sources said.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) S. Sahu reviewed the rain situation with district collectors on Wednesday and directed them to take adequate precautionary measures to meet any eventuality.
He directed the Collectors to keep all field-level functionaries at strategic locations suspected of waterlogging or low-lying areas to meet any eventuality and directed them to evacuate People from waterlogging areas if required and shelter them in safe shelters.
The SRC said the Collectors may decide on the closure of schools and Anganwadi Centres if required due to heavy rain.
Due to the heavy rain, the Baitarani River crossed the danger level at Rajghat and is rising following heavy rain in the upper catchment area of the river. Against the danger level of 36.36 metres at Rajghat, the river is flowing at 39.14 metres.
The Communication between Bhubaneswar and Phulbani and Sambalpur and Sonepur has been disrupted after the national highway and state highway were submerged under five feet of rainwater following heavy rain.
Meanwhile, the local MET office said the deep depression that formed over Coastal Bangladesh and the neighbourhood moved with a speed of 31 kmph during the past six hours and lay centres at 0530 hours of Wednesday over Gangetic West Bengal near Bankura (West Bengal), about 130km west-northwest of Kolkata and 190 KM east-southeast of Ranchi.
It is likely to move west-northwestward across Jharkhand and weaken gradually into a depression during the next 12 hours and into a well-marked low pressure area during the subsequent 24 hours.
The weather office predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places over several districts of Odisha till Thursday morning and sounded red, orange,orange and yellow warnings for the districts till Thursday morning.
The local cautionary signal No. 3 has been hoisted at all ports in Odisha, and the fishermen were advised not to venture into the sea along and off the Odisha coast and Bay of Bengal during the next 24 hours.
