More than 2.37 lakh people have been evacuated to safety in Odisha as flooding worsened across several northern districts following heavy rain, with the state government stepping up rescue and relief operations amid a fresh weather warning.
The flood situation remained grim in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar, where rivers including the Baitarani, Brahmani, Salandi, Jalaka and Budhabalanga and their tributaries have inundated large areas.
Fresh flooding has affected around 5.15 lakh people in 947 villages across 331 gram panchayats, 49 blocks and five urban areas, Chief Secretary Anu Garg said.
The state has evacuated more than 2.37 lakh people and shifted them to 293 relief camps, she said.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is scheduled to visit flood-hit Bhadrak and Jajpur districts on Monday to assess the situation on the ground. He said the government was closely monitoring the situation and that district administrations were carrying out rescue and relief operations.
"Ensuring swift assistance reaches the affected people and their safety is our topmost priority. Tomorrow morning, I will visit the flood-affected areas to directly assess the situation. Please follow the administration's directives and stay safe; the government is always with you," Majhi said in a post on X.
Three senior officers have been assigned to oversee rescue and relief operations in Balasore, Bhadrak and Jajpur, while the Special Relief Commissioner is coordinating with the district administrations, the Chief Minister said.
The state government has deployed around 90 rescue teams, comprising 36 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), seven National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 47 Fire Services teams, in vulnerable areas.
Additional chief engineers of the Water Resources Department have also been deployed to monitor embankments and undertake immediate repairs in case of breaches.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg, who reviewed the situation following the IMD forecast said the government had cancelled leave for all employees in view of the weather warning and directed those already on leave to report for duty immediately. District collectors have been asked to remain on high alert as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast very heavy rain from August 16 to 18.
The flooding has also disrupted education and transport in several areas. District administrations in Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Balasore have ordered the closure of schools and other educational institutions on Monday.
Around 400 students of a government-run residential school in Kendrapara district were also reported stranded at their hostel after floodwater from the Brahmani river inundated the area.
Utkal University has postponed fourth-semester examinations scheduled for August 17 for UG (+3), BSc ITM, BSc Computer Science and B.Ed (UDTE) courses, citing the flood situation and disruption to transportation.
Meanwhile, the IMD has issued a red warning for several parts of Odisha amid the formation of a fresh low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal.
In its latest bulletin, the weather office said the low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining West Bengal-north Odisha coasts had become a well-marked low-pressure area at 5.30 pm on Sunday. It is likely to move northwestwards and intensify into a depression within the next 12 hours.
The IMD has also advised fishermen not to venture into the sea along and off the West Bengal and adjoining Bangladesh, Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh coasts from August 16 to 18.
According to the Special Relief Commissioner's office, the situation remained particularly serious in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar.
Although water levels in some rivers have begun to recede, authorities remain on high alert because of the fresh weather system and the possibility of further heavy rainfall. The Subarnarekha, which had been rising, receded on Sunday morning and was flowing below its danger level of 10.36 metres at Rajghat in Jaleswar.
