The Odisha government has placed major districts on high alert as a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal had intensified into a depression by Thursday evening. This developing system is likely to trigger widespread downpour, raising concerns of potential floods and impacting large parts of the state.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) says the system will likely move west-northwest and cross the south Odisha–north Andhra Pradesh coast by Friday morning. The districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, and Nabarangpur are forecast to receive extremely heavy rainfall, with other southern and coastal districts also expected to experience intense showers.
In response, the state’s Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) has instructed collectors to activate local disaster response plans. District administrations have cancelled leave for government employees and placed ODRAF, fire services, and local response teams on standby. Vulnerable areas are being closely monitored.
The 18 districts under alert include Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Balasore, Nuapada, and others. Heavy rain could also affect parts of the Mahanadi river basin.
To manage potential flood risks, authorities have opened 20 sluice gates of the Hirakud Dam to ease water pressure. Discharge levels at the Mundali barrage are expected to reach nearly 6 lakh cusecs by Friday.
While reservoir levels in the southern region remain manageable, officials are closely watching for any rise in river levels. The SRC has appealed to the public to follow advisories and stay alert to weather updates.
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