Bhubaneswar: Schools and Anganwadi centres in several districts of Odisha have been ordered to remain closed amid forecasts of heavy to very heavy rainfall triggered by a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal.
The closures have been announced as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of intense rainfall, waterlogging, urban flooding, landslides and mudslides in parts of southern and coastal Odisha.
According to district-level orders, schools in Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Ganjam and Gajapati have been closed as a precautionary measure, with the duration varying by district. Schools in Malkangiri will remain closed until September 24. Anganwadi centres in the affected areas will also remain closed until September 24.
In Khurda, schools and Anganwadi centres have been ordered to remain closed from September 22 to September 24. The order covers institutions from the pre-primary level through Class XII, including government, government-aided and private schools, along with Odisha Adarsha Vidyalayas, Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas.
In Ganjam, schools have been closed for the same three-day period, while Gajapati has also ordered schools and Anganwadi centres to remain shut from September 22 to 24. Jagatsinghpur announced a closure for September 22.
Teachers and other employees have been directed to report to schools, while principals have been asked to arrange roster duties and keep school premises accessible in case they are needed during an emergency.
The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in southern and coastal Odisha through September 25. Koraput, Gajapati and Ganjam are expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall on September 23 and 24, while a red alert has been issued for Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Koraput and Malkangiri for September 24 and 25.
The National Rural Talent Scholarship examination scheduled for September 22 will, however, be conducted as planned at designated centres.
The Odisha government has placed collectors in 11 areas on high alert and cancelled leaves of government employees in some affected districts as part of its preparedness measures.
