Schools remained closed in four districts of Odisha on Monday as heavy rains triggered by a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal disrupted normal life, briefly disrupted train services and prompted the state government to put its field machinery on high alert.The precautionary shutdown comes after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast heavy to very heavy rains in several parts of the state, with red alerts issued for three districts and warnings of continued rain for the next 24 hours.
Schools close as rains intensify
Authorities ordered schools to remain closed in Jagatsinghpur, Sonepur, Mayurbhanj and Kendrapara districts after the IMD warned of heavy rains.The weather office has issued a red alert for Sundargarh, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj districts, forecasting heavy to very heavy rain. Orange alert remains in force for 19 districts while eight districts are under yellow alert.The warnings come as the deep depression in northwest Bay of Bengal moves towards the Odisha coast.
The government says there is no need to panic
As rains continued in several districts, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari chaired a high-level assessment meeting to assess preparedness.“We expect normal to heavy to extremely heavy rains for 24 hours this evening. After that, the intensity of rains is likely to reduce. We are ready to deal with the situation,” Pujari was quoted as saying. PTI.The minister said water levels in major rivers, including the Mahanadi, remained below the danger mark and there was no immediate threat of flooding in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Balasore districts.“Field officials had been put on high alert and instructed to deploy pumps to drain water from low-lying areas in case of waterlogging,” he said.For now, the government is focusing on preventing urban flooding and responding quickly if waterlogging develops in vulnerable areas.While officials say there is no immediate threat of flooding, the next 24 hours will determine how severe the impact will be in districts under red and orange alerts.