The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday issued an Orange alert for as many as 13 districts of Odisha for the next 24 hours. Odisha has been witnessing heavy rainfall for the past 24 hours.
Umashankar Das, a scientist at the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre of the IMD told ANI, "In the last 24 hours, Odisha was experiencing continuous rains due to the formation of a low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal and the state will face the maximum impact of the low-pressure area for the next 48 hours. We have issued an Orange warning to 13 districts, looking at the next 24 hours...A few coastal districts have been issued a Yellow warning..."
He said that the Sambalpur district recorded the highest rainfall in the state.
"...In the last 24 hours, 27.3 mm rainfall was recorded which is around 205 per cent more than the rainfall that was supposed to have occurred. The highest rainfall was recorded in Sambalpur - 171.4 mm. While Pallahara in Angul recorded a rainfall of 152 mm. Around 35 stations recorded heavy rainfall, and 8 stations recorded very heavy rainfall," said Das.
Odisha is likely to receive heavy to very heavy showers at a few places over 10 districts and extremely heavy rainfall at some places in three districts and an orange alert has been issued in light of that.
A statement from IMD read, "Heavy to Very Heavy Rainfall (7 to 20cm) is very likely to occur at a few places over the districts of Sambalpur, Angul, Boudh, Sonepur, Bargarh, Deogarh, Bolangir, Sundergarh, Keonjhar and Jharsuguda with Extremely Heavy Rainfall (>20cm) at one or two places over the districts of Sambalpur, Sonepur and Boudh."
Temporary water logging is likely in low-lying areas and underpass roads due to the continued rainfall is likely, the IMD informed, adding that there could be poor visibility during intense spells of rain and traffic congestion in urban areas.
The meteorological body also asked people to avoid staying in vulnerable Kutchha house as there are chances of possible damage to Kutchha Road and wall collapse of vulnerable Kutchha houses during intense rainfall.
"Arrangement for drainage of excess water from a nursery bed, preparations for sowing of paddy crops, seed collections may be done. Mining activity may be judiciously regulated during heavy rain,"the statement mentioned.
