Schools shut in 3 Odisha districts amid heavy rainfall as IMD issues ‘red alert’

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has imposed a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall of 20cm in three northern Odisha districts - Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Baleshwar. Over five lakh people are still battling flood aftermath due to persistent rains. All educational institutions in these districts, including government and private schools and colleges, will be shut on Monday.

The IMD predicts heavy rainfall from August 16 to 18, with intensified rains expected on Monday before tapering off on Tuesday. The weather system is associated with a new low-pressure zone over northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas, expected to shift northwestwards and strengthen over the next 24 hours. Squally weather, with winds of 40-60kmph, is also forecasted along the Odisha coast through August 18.

In the past week, Odisha has received 953mm of rain, which is 27% higher than the normal. This extreme weather has inundated 49 blocks, five urban areas, and 331 gram panchayats, affecting around 5.15 lakh people, of whom 2.37 lakh have been evacuated. Relief camps have been set up across the state. In Jajpur, the Baitarani and Brahmani rivers have overflowed, submerging large areas and damaging crops.

The Baitarani's flow was above danger levels in several locations, including Akhuapada, Ballavighat, and Dasarathpur. In Bari, a section of an embankment collapsed, and villages like Chandanpur and Arual were submerged. Similarly, a newly built section of National Highway 53 collapsed near Nilanchal Bazar, causing three trucks to overturn.