The Odisha government Wednesday announced the closure of all government and private schools and Anganwadi centres in 12 of the 30 districts in view of the incessant rainfall for the past two days triggered by a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal. The district administrations of Keonjhar, Balangir, Kalahandi, Sonepur, Sambalpur, Dhenkanal, Mayurbhanj, Angul, Boud, Nayagarh, Balasore and Nuapada have announced the shutting down of schools and Anganwadi centres. The district collectors have been authorised to take a call regarding further closure of schools and Anganwadi centres if required, said officials. Though the state has received an average rainfall of 83.8 mm in the last 24 hours, the Boudh block of the Boudh district had received the highest at 390.6 mm of rainfall during the period, triggering a flash-flood-like situation. According to official sources, as many as four blocks have recorded rainfall of more than 300 mm, 17 blocks have recorded more than 200 mm rainfall and 68 blocks have recorded rainfall between 100 mm and 200 mm. With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall in several parts of the state in the next 48 hours, Odisha’s special relief commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu took stock of the situation. Sahu directed the collectors of the districts that are likely to be affected to take adequate precautionary measures and keep all field-level functionaries at strategic locations which are likely to see water logging or are low-lying areas in order to meet any eventuality. The director general of fire services has been requested to deploy teams in Boudh, Mayurbhanj, Sonepur, Angul, Balangir, Kandhamal, Sambalpur, Jajpur and Bhadrak districts to help in search and rescue operations, wherever required. “People from water logging areas are to be evacuated if required and sheltered in safe shelters. They shall be provided with dry/cooked food and drinking water. Instruction has been issued to make adequate availability of anti-snake venom injections at all healthcare centres. Direction has also been issued to de-water wherever needed and clear uprooted trees,” said Sahu. As the rain has already submerged roads and bridges in several districts, the SRC directed authorities to regulate vehicular traffic on submerged roads. The heavy rain has disrupted vehicular movement in several areas because of waterlogging and submergence. Anticipating heavy precipitation over the next two days, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams are being sent to Keonjhar and Sambalpur and Rairakhol for rescue and search-related works. Meanwhile, NDRF teams are being deployed in Bhadrak and Jajpur. The IMD has issued a red warning in view of heavy to very heavy rainfall (from 7 cm to 20 cm) at a few places in the districts of Sundergarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Bolangir, Sonepur, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Keonjhar, and Boudh in the next 24 hours. There has also been warning of flash flood/water logging in low lying areas, inundation of agriculture fields and mudslides/landslides in vulnerable hilly areas. The heavy rainfall may damage the kutcha roads and may lead to the collapse of vulnerable kutcha houses. It may lead to a significant rise in the water level of rivers and cause water logging in underpass roads and occasional reduction of visibility causing traffic congestion in urban areas, said the IMD.
