Sharmili Mallick

The Regional Meteorological Centre of India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday predicted that the depression over north Odisha would weaken into a depression today.

“The deep depression moved further west-northwestwards during past six hours with a speed of 12 kmph and lay centred at 80 km southeast of Jharsuguda  and about 85 km east of Sambalpur,” informed the Met Centre in Bhubaneswar.

“It is very likely to continue to move west-northwestwards across north Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh during the next 48 hours. It is very likely to weaken into a depression during the next 6 hours,” added the weather office in its tweets.

The Met Centre has issued red warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places with extremely heavy (>20cm) rainfall at one or two places over the districts of Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Sonepur, Dhenkanal, Jharsuguda and Bargarh on Tuesday.

Similarly, orange warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall at one or two places has been issued for Bolangir, Sundargarh, Boudh, Keonjhar, Khordha, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Kendrapada, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Cuttack today.

Under the influence of the system, surface wind speed reaching 40 -50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph along and off Odisha coast and over North & West-central Bay of Bengal is very likely to occur today.

On the other hand, major rivers and their tributaries continued to swell due to the incessant rain since the last two days.

Jalka River of Subarnarekha basin in Balasore district is flowing at 5.6 metres above the danger mark of 5.5 metres due to torrential rains in Morada, Rasgobindapur and Suliapada. However, the water levels of Budhabalanga and Subarnarekha have remained below danger mark.

Similarly, heavy rainfall has triggered waterlogging in Balasore town and nearby areas. Many places including Gudipada, Chandamari Padia, Arada Bazar, Chuna Bhati have been submerged.

The Central Water Commission (CWC) had earlier issued a flood alert in several districts of the State.

“Brahmani river and its tributaries' water levels are expected to rise in districts such as Angul, Deogarh, Sundargarh, Kendrapara, Dhenkanal and Jajpur. Water levels of river Baitarani are expected to rise in districts Keonjhar and Bhadrak,” the CWC had said.

The water levels of Mahanadi and its tributaries are likely to rise in Cuttack, Khordha, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Jharsuguda and Bolangir, added the CWC.

Meanwhile, communication to Jayapur village in Bhusan panchayat of Dhenkanal district has been disrupted after roads were submerged due to surge in the water level of Brahmani River.

The Baitarani river has also swelled in Bhadrak district and flowing at 17.71 metre near Akhuapada against the danger mark of 17.83 metre leading to the inundation of several low-lying areas of the region.

Hundreds of people were marooned in Kalasaepada under Puintala block of Bolangir district due to torrential overnight downpour. 

Similarly, two villages in Athagarh block have remained cut off from the mainland after a breach in the embankment of Kantia River. 

As a result, water was flowing at 4 feet over Puruna Cuttack-Sambalpur road and floodwater has also entered Nidhipur Gada area and have completely disrupted the communication in the region.

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