Bhubaneswar, Jul 6: Following several days of relentless rainfall across Odisha, the Water Resources Department on Monday cautioned that the Baitarani River is likely to witness a minor flood, posing risks to residents in low-lying areas of Jajpur and Bhadrak districts.

A senior official of the department said that the Baitarani currently poses the biggest challenge due to rising water levels. “Owing to heavy rainfall in the upper catchment, we expect a minor flood in the downstream areas. Around 1,700 cumecs of water are being released from Anandapur, and the river is likely to cross the danger level at Akhuapada in Bhadrak. However, it will not create any major flooding situation,” the official said.

The official added that the minor-to-moderate flood is expected to recede within the next 24 hours, while assuring that other major rivers, including the Mahanadi, are not under threat.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast widespread rainfall across Odisha under the influence of a depression over the northwest Bay of Bengal. IMD Bhubaneswar Director Manorama Mohanty said the system is moving north-northwestward and will bring moderate to heavy rainfall in several districts.

The IMD issued an orange warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall for Bargarh, Sambalpur, Angul, Sonepur, Boudh, Nuapada and Bolangir districts during the next 24 hours

It also issued a yellow alert of heavy rainfall for Cuttack, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nabarangpur and Nayagarh districts.

Also Read: Odisha Braces for Two More Days of Intense Rainfall

The IMD has also warned of thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds of 30–40 kmph at isolated places. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the north Bay of Bengal and along the Odisha coast for the next two days, as sea conditions are expected to remain rough to very rough.

Meanwhile, several district administrations declared all educational institutions closed in view of the heavy rainfall.

According to the Revenue Department, schools and colleges remained shut in Cuttack, Kandhamal, Sambalpur, Sonepur and Bargarh districts.