Weather updates: Odisha situation grim, 600 school children stranded; heavy rains likely in Bengal

Several states are bracing for floods in India, while the situation has remained grim in Odisha as over two lakh people across 10 districts were affected as water levels rose in adjoining Mahanadi river causing deaths and displacement of those living in low-lying areas.

At the same time, flood in river Godavari in Andhra Pradesh has been rising steadily on Wednesday again after showing a falling trend over the last two days, following heavy rains in the upper catchment areas.

Meanwhile, in Delhi, the Yamuna crossed the warning mark of 204.5 metres in Delhi again on Wednesday after Haryana releasing more water from the Hathnikund barrage amid rains in the upper catchment areas.

In Gangetic West Bengal, a low pressure system is likely to form over north Bay of Bengal on Friday, causing widespread rainfall.

Two lakh people hit in Odisha

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has asked officers concerned to ensure “zero casualty” in the flood caused by heavy rainfall due to the week-long low pressure and depression.

So far, two lakh people have been affected due to the flood while around 24,000 hectares of farmland have been hit. Of them, 1.20 lakh people in 237 villages were marooned and over 26,000 people have been evacuated.

The flow of flood water will reach its peak in the Mahanadi delta region comprising Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Puri districts after midnight. The peak flow of flood water is occurring currently at Mundali barrage in Cuttack.

Rescue teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and Odisha Fire Service have launched an operation to rescue 600 school children trapped in a private residential institute at Gatiroutpatna in Cuttack district.

CM Patnaik has reviewed the flood situation and asked officials to ensure zero casualty in the calamity, besides immediate repair of roads and communication channels affected by the flood.

While putting collectors of 10 districts on high alert, Patnaik directed evacuation of people living in low-laying areas and from places inundated by the flood water.
Meanwhile, the flood water has entered villages and agricultural fields and is flowing over several bridges in the districts of Sambalpur, Subarnapur, Boudh, Cuttack, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Puri districts.

The meteorological department forecast the formation of a fresh low pressure over the northern Bay of Bengal by Friday which could bring in widespread and heavy rain in the state from Thursday.

The Met Office issued a yellow warning of heavy rain in 10 districts of north coastal Odisha on Wednesday.

Heavy rain forecast for Gangetic West Bengal

The coastal and western districts of the state received isolated heavy rain last week owing to a depression in northwest Bay of Bengal, bringing relief to farmers in the rice-growing districts, which have seen deficient rainfall this monsoon.

Fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy downpour is likely over the districts of Gangetic West Bengal from Friday to Sunday due to the likely formation of a low pressure system in north Bay of Bengal on Friday, the Met office said.

The weatherman has also forecast thunderstorms with lightning at one or two places in West Bengal on Wednesday and Thursday.

Flood levels rise as major rivers in spate in Andhra Pradesh

Flood in river Godavari in Andhra Pradesh has been rising steadily on Wednesday again after showing a falling trend over the last two days, following heavy rains in the upper catchment areas.

Consequently, the instant inflow and outflow at Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowaleswaram near Rajamahendravaram has risen to 14.42 lakh cusecs (cubic foot of water flow per second).

At Bhadrachalam in neighbouring Telangana, the flood in Godavari was recorded at about 15 lakh cusecs, crossing the third danger mark at a level of 54.5 feet. That much flood will flow down into the Cotton Barrage over the next few hours.

The State Disaster Management Authority, in a press release, said the second warning signal remained in place at the Cotton Barrage even as three teams each of the NDRF and the SDRF have been positioned in the flood-hit districts of Alluri Sitarama Raju, B R Ambedkar Konaseema and Eluru for relief operations.

People along the course of the river have to be on alert till the flood recedes, SDMA Managing Director B R Ambedkar said in the statement.

Meanwhile, in river Krishna the discharge from Srisailam reservoir has been 3.95 lakh cusecs on Wednesday morning. Almost the same quantity of floodwater was being released from Nagarjuna Sagar dam downstream, the AP Water Resources Information Management System data showed.

In the other part of the state, Nagavali and Vamsadhara rivers in Srikakulam district have also been receiving copious inflows due to heavy rains in the catchment.

At Gotta Barrage in Srikakulam, the flood flow rose to 54,853 cusecs, following which the first warning signal has been raised.

Yamuna crosses warning level again in Delhi, light rain likely in city

The Yamuna crossed the warning mark of 204.5 metres in Delhi again on Wednesday with Haryana releasing more water from the Hathnikund barrage amid rains in the upper catchment areas. Meanwhile, Cloudy weather and very light rain are predicted in Delhi on Wednesday, forecasting agencies have said.

The Safdarjung Observatory, Delhi’s primary weather station, recorded a minimum temperature of 24.6 degrees Celsius, two notches below normal for this time of the year.

The maximum temperature is likely to settle around 35 degrees Celsius.

On Tuesday, cloudy weather, light rain and strong surface winds had pulled the maximum temperature down to 33.1 degrees Celsius. After surplus rains in July, the Safdarjung Observatory has recorded just 27.2 mm of rainfall so far in August against a normal of 131.9 mm.

Flood alert in Maharashtra’s Palghar

The Palghar district administration in Maharashtra on Tuesday issued an alert to riverside villages in Vasai, Palghar, Dahanu, Wada and Vikramgad tehsils as water was being released from dams following heavy rains.

Water was being discharged from Tansa, Modaksagar, Kawdas and Dhamni dams and the water level of Vaitarna and Pinjal rivers was rising.

(With inputs from PTI)

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