Bhubaneswar: Odisha is bracing for more heavy rainfall, as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Monday that a new low-pressure system is expected to develop over the northwest Bay of Bengal and surrounding areas around August 13.
According to the IMD’s morning update, a cyclonic circulation has formed over the northwest Bay of Bengal. This formation is likely to lead to the development of a low-pressure area in the region on August 13.
Following the establishment of a low-pressure area over southern Gangetic West Bengal and nearby northern Odisha on August 8, the monsoon activity surged in Odisha, resulting in a week of rain characterized by light to moderate downpours, with heavy rainfall anticipated until August 15. In July, the state faced severe rainfall and extensive flooding caused by two significant low-pressure systems: a deep depression in the northwest Bay of Bengal from July 2-5 and another system near the northern coasts of Odisha and West Bengal on July 25, both of which led to red alerts.
This latest round of rainfall, combined with rising water levels in several rivers, has once again created a flood-like scenario in various areas of northern Odisha, which was just starting to recover from recent flooding. Over the past two days, two individuals from Jajpur and Kendrapada districts were swept away by floodwaters, while crops suffered damage and road access was obstructed in Bhadrak and Jajpur districts, as the Baitarani and Salandi rivers, along with several tributaries, overflowed and flooded low-lying regions.
Reports indicate that an embankment failure occurred in the Dasarathapur block of Jajpur district, along with another incident at a check dam in Solaghara, Sambalpur district. Furthermore, some villages in the Athagarh block of Cuttack district have also experienced flooding. In response to the rainfall in upstream catchment areas, the Hirakud reservoir has opened four additional sluice gates to manage floodwater, bringing the total to twelve.
It is noteworthy that Odisha has recorded a 27 percent increase in rainfall from June 1 to August 8.
