Schools were closed in four districts of Odisha on Monday as heavy rains triggered by a major depression over the Bay of Bengal disrupted normal life, briefly affected train services and prompted the state government to put its field machines on high alert.The precautionary shutdown comes after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy to very heavy rains in several parts of the state, with red alerts issued in three states with warnings that rain will continue in the next 24 hours.
Schools were closed as the rain intensified
Officials 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, predicting moderate to heavy rain. An orange alert remains in effect in 19 states, while eight states are under a yellow alert.The warnings come as a major depression in the northwest Bay of Bengal moves towards the Odisha coast.
The government says there is no need to panic
As the rains continued in several districts, Minister for Finance and Disaster Relief Suresh Pujari chaired a high-level review meeting to review preparedness.“We are expecting normal or very heavy rains in the next 24 hours from this evening. After that, the intensity of the rains may reduce. We are ready to deal with the situation,” said Pujari, according to PTI.The minister said the water level in all major rivers, including the Mahanadi, remained below the danger level and there was no risk of flooding in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Balasore districts.“District authorities have been alerted and advised to set up pumps to remove water from low-lying areas in case of flooding,” he said.Meanwhile, the government wants to prevent flooding in cities and respond quickly if water rises in critical areas.Although officials say there is no threat of flooding, the next 24 hours will see the extent of the problems in the districts with red and orange alerts.