Odisha floods: Orange alert issued in 17 districts today; CM Patnaik announces flood relief

The met office on Friday issued an orange alert of very heavy rains in Odisha's 17 districts amidst warning of developing of a new low pressure area, the third in the past overnight. Earlier on Thursday, the met office had issued yellow warning of heavy rainfall in 20 districts of the state.

In a bulletin on Wednesday, the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre had said that the weather system is set to form over north Bay of Bengal around Friday under the influence of a cyclonic circulation, which lies over south Myanmar.

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The meteorological center issued an orange alert of very heavy downpour of 116-204 mm in 17 districts, including Cuttack, Kendrapara and Sambalpur, on Friday. Heavy showers are expected for the rest of the 13 districts on the day. 

It also predicted very heavy precipitation in Kalahandi and seven districts of western Odisha on Saturday, besides heavy rain in nine adjoining districts. 

Meanwhile, the state government has advised fishermen not to venture into the sea in north and west central Bay of Bengal on Friday and off the coast on Saturday as squally weather with wind speed of 45-55 km per hour is expected over the region. 

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Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday also made an aerial survey of five of the 12 flood hit districts of the state and announced succor for the affected in the calamity for the next 15 days. 

Patnaik made an aerial survey of the Mahanadi delta area falling between Luna, Chitratola and Paika rivers in Kendrapara district, Kujang and Naugaon in Jagatsinghpur district, Gop, Nimapara, Astarang, Delang, Pipili and Kanas areas of Puri district. 

He announced relief to the people of flood affected villages of the worst hit districts of Khudra, Puri, Cuttack, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur for 15 days.

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The chief minister also announced relief for seven days for the people of the flood hit areas of Sambalpur, Bargarh, Sonepur, Boudh and Angul districts, which are all located in the upstream of river Mahanadi. 

Both cooked and dry food, candles, matchboxes, drinking water pouches, medicines, baby food and other essentials will be provided to the flood victims by the government.

Expressing concern over the inundation of the populated areas in the Mahanadi delta region, the chief minister directed officials to expedite relief work, provide cooked food, healthcare service and supply drinking water to the people of the affected areas.

• Odisha
• Odisha floods
• Floods
• Heavy rains
• Mahanadi
• Naveen Patnaik