Odisha’s Koraput on alert after 560 mm rainfall in 24 hours; leaves of govt officials cancelled till Sept 28

In the past 24 hours, the Koraput district recorded 562.9 millimetres of rainfall, pushing the administration to enforce strict preparedness measures. In an order issued on Tuesday, Collector Manoj Satyawan Mahajan cancelled all leaves of government employees till September 28 and directed that no officer leave headquarters during this period.

Further, the Collector convened a meeting with additional district Magistrates, block development officers, tehsildars, police, fire services, and other department officials to assess the situation. A district control room has been set up to coordinate real-time response.

Monitoring Of Landslide-Prone Areas

Sources reported that following the meeting, instructions were given to shift families living in kutcha houses in landslide-prone pockets to safer locations, with shelter camps identified for temporary relocation.

Officials have been tasked with keeping constant watch on vulnerable slopes and ensuring that precautionary evacuations are carried out where required.

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Field Officers On Continuous Duty

Block and tehsil-level officials have been told to remain alert and report developments without delay. Police and fire service units are on standby across the district.

The Collector’s order further bars any movement of officers outside their headquarters to ensure immediate response capability until September 28. The administration has also activated standard disaster preparedness protocols in view of the rainfall intensity. Medical teams, supply chains, and rescue arrangements are being coordinated through the control room.

Notably, the order comes during the Durga Puja celebrations and amid the IMD’s warning for excessive rainfall following the formation of twin low pressures over the Bay of Bengal by the end of this month. Further, the forecast warned that the second low-pressure system expected by September 28 may also intensify into a depression.