Odisha Floods

Unesco recognises 24 coastal villages in Odisha as 'Tsunami Ready'

Twenty-four coastal villages in Odisha were recognised by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO as 'Tsunami Ready'. The recognition was given during the 2nd Global Tsunami Symposium held in Indonesia on November 11, a statement said. These villages are located in Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, Puri and Ganjam districts, it said. Besides, the Tsunami Ready Recognition Certificates were renewed for two villages in the state. These villages are Noliasahi in Jagatsinghpur district and Venkatraipur in Ganjam district. They were recognised as Tsunami Ready in 2020. Various activities, including training of stakeholders, community awareness programmes, preparation of tsunami management plans, conducting mock drills and identification of evacuation routes, were done in these 24 tsunami-prone villages, the statement said. Members of the National Tsunami Ready Recognition Board, comprising scientists of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Servi

Odisha govt disburses Rs 423 cr to districts affected by Cyclone Dana

The collectors in the state have been ordered to make sure that the amount reaches all the affected during the cyclonic storm within seven days

Deep depression over Bay of Bengal to cross Odisha coast near Puri: IMD

The depression formed over the Bay of Bengal on Monday intensified into a deep depression and is likely to cross the Odisha coast near Puri by noon, the IMD said in a bulletin. The weather office said that the depression over the Bay of Bengal moved slowly north-northwestwards with a speed of 8 kmph during the past six hours and intensified into a Deep Depression. The system lay centered at about 70 km south-southeast of Puri (Odisha), 140 km east-southeast of Gopalpur (Odisha), 120 km south-southwest of Paradip (Odisha), 170 km south-southwest of Chandbali (Odisha), 240 km east-northeast of Kalingapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and 290 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal). "It is very likely to move nearly northwestwards and cross Odisha coast near Puri by noon on September 9," the IMD said, adding that thereafter, it is very likely to move west-northwestwards across Odisha and Chhattisgarh during the subsequent two days. The weather office also issued a 'Red alert' in five district

Water released from Odisha's Hirakud Dam, high alert in downstream areas

With the Hirakud Dam authorities releasing the season's first flood water in the river Mahanadi, the Odisha government on Sunday asked collectors of seven downstream districts to be on high alert and tell people not to go near the riverbank, officials said. After customary puja, the dam authorities opened sluice gate number seven followed by others. A total of 20 gates will be opened in three phases 7 gates at 9.30 am, another 7 at 12.30 pm and the remaining 6 gates at 2.30 pm, to flush out excess water amid heavy rainfall in the upper catchment areas and the inflow of water into the reservoir. The water level of Hirakud stood at 616.93 ft against its full reservoir capacity of 630 feet, at 6 am. While the inflow of water into the reservoir was 3,16,000 cusec, the outflow was 40,126 cusec. The state government in a release said that due to the opening of 20 gates, the Khairmal discharge would be around 4.50 lakh cusecs by 8 am on July 29 and the Mundali discharge will be around 5 .

Odisha govt asks collectors to be prepared for possible flood situation

The Odisha government has asked all district collectors and municipal commissioners to remain fully prepared for probable flood situation in the monsoon season. In a letter to all collectors and municipal commissioners, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu on Monday said IMD has forecasted that an intense spell of rainfall due to active monsoon would occur throughout the state from June 26. "As a result, there may be instances of flash floods, flood like situation, waterlogging and landslides at different locations. Keeping this in mind, you are requested to take immediate action," Sahu told the collectors. He said the field-level functionaries should not leave the headquarters and they should be deployed in strategic locations of flash flood or waterlogging and ready to meet any eventuality. As low-lying areas in urban pockets may have waterlogging and roads may be submerged, the SRC directed the urban local bodies (ULBs) to keep the drains and storm water channels ..

Odisha floods: Shortage of drinking water as inundated roads halt tankers

People affected by Odisha floods said they were facing an acute shortage of potable water and many were forced to drink floodwater after boiling it, while others feared consumption of it may cause water-borne diseases. The government, on the other hand, said it was sending water tankers to the flood-hit areas but those affected said the vehicles were not able to reach them as roads have been inundated in the deluge. Though the water levels in major rivers have come down, 75 more villages came under the grip of the deluge. A total of 6.24 lakh people have been affected in 11 districts, according to an official report on Sunday. The affected people have taken shelter in nearby schools which are surrounded by floodwaters. "My house and tube wells in our area remain submerged in floodwaters. We do not have access to potable drinking water. We are boiling floodwater and drinking it," said 68-year-old Kalandi Barik of Santhapada village in Rajnagar block of Kendrapara district. Like Ba

Heavy to very heavy rainfall likely over west Odisha in next 24 hours: IMD

Meanwhile, locals caught fish at the inundated National Highway 57 in the Boudh area after ponds of the fisheries department got flooded following heavy and continuous rainfall

More rain likely in Odisha as low-pressure area may form over Bay of Bengal

Odisha may receive heavy rain next week as a low-pressure area is expected to form over the Bay of Bengal, the Met office said on Friday. This will be the second such weather system in two weeks and the fifth over the past two months. An upper air cyclonic circulation will form over northwest Bay of Bengal around Sunday. Under its influence, a low-pressure area is set to take shape over the same region during the subsequent 48 hours. The Met office predicted heavy rainfall of 7-10 mm at a few places over Puri, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Bolangir, Gajapati, Ganjam and Jagatsinghpur districts on Sunday. Downpour is likely in several districts, including Khurda, Cuttack and Puri, on Monday. Heavy to very heavy rainfall can occur in a few places over Boudh, Angul, Subarnapur, Kandhamal, and Kalahandi on Tuesday.

Odisha: Government evacuates people from low-lying areas amid flood threat

The district administration of Odisha's Balasore and Mayurbhanj has launched a massive evacuation drive in low-lying areas, as it gears up to combat flooding in the Subarnarekha and Baitarani river systems, officials said Sunday. The state is already reeling under the impact of a medium flood in the Mahanadi river system following incessant rainfall, which has affected above seven lakh people, of whom nearly 5 lakh are still marooned in 763 villages, they said. Meanwhile, the death toll in rain and flood-related incidents rose to six, with rescue teams recovering bodies of at least two persons in Kuchinda area of Sambalpur district. Earlier, four people, including two minor girls, were killed following a wall collapse on Friday night. The water level in all the rivers located in north Odisha are in spate due to heavy rainfall induced by a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, and subsequent flood water release from Jharkhand through the Galudih barrage, the officials said. Invol

Fresh flood threat looming over north Odisha after heavy rain: Official

Fresh flood threat looms over northern Odisha as many parts in the region were pounded by heavy rain on Friday night, following which many rivers might have swollen, a senior official said. The state is already reeling under flood in the Mahanadi river system with around 4 lakh people marooned in 500 villages. Water levels in Subarnarekha, Budhabalang, Baitarani and Salandi are under the scanner as Balasore, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj received heavy rain on the previous night, Odisha Water Resources Chief Engineer B K Mishra said on Saturday. "We are collecting details of the rain impact," he said. The deep depression that triggered the heavy rain will remain active for the next 24 hours before weakening gradually, the IMD said. The weatherman said that two stations in Odisha received extremely heavy rainfall while 27 others got very heavy downpour, and 49 stations received heavy rainfall on Friday night. Bhogorai in Balasore district received the highest amount of rainfall of 226 m

Flood situation in Mahanadi system grim, CM stresses on zero casualty

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik asked officers concerned to ensure "zero casualty" as the state faces flooding in the Mahanadi river with a number of villages in eight districts inundated, officials said.

Odisha bracing for flood as Mahanadi swells after incessant rain: Officials

Odisha is bracing for a possible flood-like situation in several districts, with the water level of the Mahanadi river swiftly rising following heavy rain in the catchment areas over the last few days

Odisha seeks Rs 1,100 cr assistance from govt for damage caused by floods

Odisha on Thursday sought an assistance amounting to Rs 1,100 crore from the Centre as response support for the damage caused by floods in different parts of the state in August, an official said

Odisha floods: Fire Service team rescues 115, distribute relief materials

Teams of Odisha Fire Service, operating in Khordha and Puri district during the floods, have rescued a total of 115 persons as of September 1

Flood water of Mahanadi inundates several Odisha villages, many rescued

Flood waters of the Mahanadi inundated several villages in coastal Odisha on Sunday with over 10 lakh cusec flowing through the Mundali barrage near Cuttack, officials said.

Odisha: 5 dead in house collapse, heavy rains triggers flood-like situation

Arrangements have been made to evacuate people to safer places in Bhadrak, Balasore and Jajpur, he said

Odisha: 35 including children evacuated to safer place from flood-hit areas

Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy reviewed the flood-like situation in Odisha with collectors of 10 districts through video conference, according to the Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep Jena

Incessant rains, floods claim 20 lives in Odisha; over 300,000 affected

A preliminary assessment indicated that 8,286 houses have been partially or fully damaged in the deluge that lasted for around four days, beginning on July 20