Bhubaneswar : As Odisha battles incessant rain under the influence of a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, the Director General of India Meteorological Department (IMD), Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, said that the state should brace for another low pressure system, which is likely to form by September 17.
Mohapatra, told a local television channel that the fresh low pressure system, if formed, will trigger more rainfall in the state later this week. "We forecast another low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal by September 17. The system is likely to reach north Odisha by September 18," he said.
Also Read: Low pressure area results in rains across Odisha
After the weather forecast by IMD over 19.53 lakh people in 11 districts of Odisha have been affected by heavy rains in the state, officials said.
According to a report prepared by the office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), over 19.53 lakh people in 2,789 villages of 11 districts have been affected by the incessant downpour.
The 11 districts are Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Koraput, Cuttack, Jajpur, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Dhenkanal, Khordha and Angul.
Also Read: Low pressure area forms over Bay of Bengal, likely to turn into depression
The government said that it has evacuated 3,819 persons from low lying areas in five affected districts while 265 houses have been damaged in nine of the affected districts. According to reports, three deaths were reported from of the state on Monday, two from Kendrapara due to a wall collapse, and one from Khordha district who died due to drowning.
The major rivers in Odisha were in spate following the incessant rains. Official sources said the water level in Mahanadi river and Jalaka river is rising at various places. All schools in Puri, Khordha, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Dhenkanal, Nayagarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Sonepur and Bargarh have been closed for two days -- September 13 and 14.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the deep depression over north coastal Odisha moved further west-northwestwards during the past six hours with a speed of 13 kmph, and lay centred close to Keonjhar. It is likely to continue moving west-northwestwards across north Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh during the next 48 hours and weaken into a depression during the subsequent 12 hours, the IMD said.
Also Read: Heavy to moderate rain in TN on Monday: IMD
(with inputs from agencies)
