Odisha alerts all district collectors as IMD warns of more rainfall till August 20

Bhubaneswar: With the low pressure area over Bay of Bengal intensifying and the IMD forecasting heavy downpour in parts of Odisha till August 20, the state government on Saturday put all the 30 districts on alert to deal with any possible flood-like situation or water-logging.

The India Meteorological Department, in its evening bulletin, said that the low pressure area over north Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas along the Bangladesh-West Bengal coasts is likely to move north-northwestwards and become a well-marked low pressure area over Bangladesh and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal by August 19.

"Thereafter, it is likely to move west-northwestwards across Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand and adjoining Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and adjoining Madhya Pradesh during the subsequent 3-4 days," the IMD said.

The weather agency issued a yellow warning of heavy rain (7 to 11 cm) at a few places in Bolangir, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Nuapada, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts during the next 24 hours.

For Sunday, the IMD issued a yellow warning (be updated) and said heavy rain (7 to 11 cm) may occur at a few places in the districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Deogarh, Sambalpur, and Jharsuguda districts.

Meanwhile, Odisha's Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu, in a letter to all the collectors, said the district administrations should remain prepared for any eventuality and remain vigilant on water-logging in urban areas.

The SRC also asked the district collectors to ensure that no fishermen ventures into the sea from August 17 to August 20.