Bhubaneswar: Incessant rain lashed Wednesday several parts of Odisha causing inundation of low-lying areas in the state.
With the Meteorological Centre here predicting more downpours till Friday, the State Government has asked district administrations to remain prepared to tackle a flood-like situation, officials said.
Heavy downpour since Tuesday, which was triggered by a cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal off the Andhra Pradesh coast, caused inundation of low-lying areas here, Cuttack, Puri and Balasore districts, informed officials. Schools in Gajapati, Ganjam and Puri districts have been shut because of the heavy rain.
The State Revenue and Disaster Management Department (SRDMD) has asked the District Collectors to keep the administrative machinery prepared to meet any exigency arising out of a flood-like situation or water-logging due to the intense rain.
All the district Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) have been asked to operate round-the-clock and monitor the situation at regular intervals, the department said in an advisory to the District Collectors.
Apart from the heavy downpour forecast till Friday under the influence of the cyclonic circulation and strong monsoon current, most parts of the state may receive light to moderate rain till Sunday, the MeT Centre said.
The MeT Centre has forecast heavy rainfall in Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Baragarh and Gajapati districts Wednesday and Thursday and sounded ‘yellow warning’ for the areas on the two days.
Some areas of Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts are likely to receive heavy rain Thursday and Friday while the intensity of the downpour may subside thereafter, the MeT added.
PTI