Odisha is battling another intense spell of monsoon rain after a low-pressure area formed over the north-western Bay of Bengal early on August 23, triggering heavy to extremely heavy rainfall across several districts. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red warning for Cuttack, Angul, Dhenkanal, Kalahandi and Nabarangpur, with similar weather conditions expected to continue until August 26.
Thuamula Rampur in Kalahandi recorded 345 mm of rain in 24 hours, the highest in the state, while Kashipur in Rayagada received 212 mm and 19 other locations recorded between 100 mm and 200 mm. The rainfall has already caused flash flooding along the Hati River in Kalahandi, where authorities released 412 cusecs of water from the Mangalpur Barrage and 293 people were rescued from affected villages.
Flooding has also continued to affect Bhadrak, where nearly three lakh people across 244 villages have been affected and emergency medical teams have been deployed.
Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling visited Bhadrak to review the situation, while district administrations have closed schools and Anganwadi centres in vulnerable areas. The IMD has also warned of squally conditions, with winds of 40-60 kmph over the Bay of Bengal and along the Odisha coast, and advised fishermen not to venture into the sea until August 24.
Extreme Rainfall Triggers Flooding
The latest rainfall spell has quickly turned into a ground-level emergency in parts of Odisha, particularly in districts where rivers, roads and low-lying settlements are already vulnerable to flooding.
The weather system developed from an upper-air cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal off the West Bengal-Bangladesh coast, which intensified into a low-pressure area around 5:30 am on August 23. The system is expected to move nearly north-westwards across north Odisha and adjoining Gangetic West Bengal, maintaining widespread rainfall over the state.
The intensity of the rainfall is evident from the figures recorded across southern and western Odisha. Thuamula Rampur in Kalahandi received 345 mm in the 24 hours ending at 8:30 am on Sunday, while Kashipur in Rayagada recorded 212 mm. Gunupur in Rayagada received 260 mm and Jaipatna in Kalahandi recorded 200 mm, according to rainfall data reported from the weather office.
Nineteen other locations received between 100 mm and 200 mm. Regional IMD head Manorama Mohanty said two locations had received extremely heavy rainfall, while several others recorded heavy to very heavy rain. She also said the rainfall activity was expected to continue in the state until August 26.
The consequences have already been severe in Kalahandi. The Hati River was flowing in spate when authorities released 412 cusecs of water from the Mangalpur Barrage of the Indravati Project into it, resulting in flash flooding along its embankments. Floodwaters entered low-lying areas of Talpada, Bankapala and Jampadar villages in Kalampur block.
BDO Vijay Kumar Marandi-led local administration teams rescued 293 people from Paruaguda and Bodelbandh villages and provided them with free ration. Heavy rain also disrupted road communication between Junagarh and Kalampur and along the Thuamul Rampur-Kashipur route.
Flood Threat Meets Public Health
The fresh rain comes at a particularly difficult time for Odisha, where several districts have been dealing with the effects of earlier flooding. In Bhadrak, nearly 3 lakh people living across 244 villages in five blocks have been affected by floodwaters. The administration has responded by strengthening healthcare and disease surveillance in areas where stagnant water and damaged sanitation systems can increase the risk of infections.
Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling, accompanied by Director of Public Health Rabindranath Mishra, visited Bhadrak on Sunday and reviewed the flood situation. Officials said 16 medical relief centres had been opened in the worst-affected areas of Dhamnagar, Bhandaripokhari, Chandabali and Tihidi blocks.
Eight rapid response teams and 10 mobile health units have also been deployed, with health workers conducting house-to-house surveillance. Supplies including anti-snake venom, bleaching powder, halazone tablets and oral rehydration salts have been made available to meet emergency requirements.
The health response reflects the secondary risks that often accompany prolonged flooding. Officials have reported 16 snake-bite cases and 107 cases of acute diarrhoeal disease, while 12,786 people have received treatment for minor ailments.
Health teams have also collected 657 water samples and 21 rectal swabs to monitor possible water-borne and communicable diseases. For communities living through repeated flooding, the emergency therefore extends beyond evacuation and rescue: safe drinking water, sanitation, healthcare and protection from snakes and other hazards become equally urgent.
The disruption is also affecting children’s education. In view of the rainfall forecast and prevailing conditions, authorities ordered all schools and Anganwadi centres in Nabarangpur to remain closed on August 24. In Bhadrak, 89 schools in vulnerable areas were also closed as a precaution. These decisions underline the practical impact of the weather, with flooded roads and rising water levels making routine travel unsafe for students and staff.
Odisha Braces For More Rain
The immediate concern is that the latest rainfall is arriving while some parts of the state are still recovering from flooding. Odisha had already seen significant disruption from the previous spell, with more than 13.44 lakh people across seven districts affected and nearly 4.87 lakh evacuated, according to an earlier update carried by Akashvani.
While floodwaters had begun receding in parts of northern Odisha, the arrival of another weather system has raised concerns that fresh rainfall could slow recovery or create new flooding in vulnerable locations.
The IMD has issued a layered warning system reflecting the geographical spread of the threat. Along with the red warning for Cuttack, Angul, Dhenkanal, Kalahandi and Nabarangpur, an orange warning has been issued for several districts including Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Sonepur, Boudh, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri, Puri, Khordha, Nayagarh and Rayagada in the relevant forecast period. Yellow warnings have also been issued for other parts of the state.
The marine situation adds another layer of concern. The IMD has forecast squally weather with winds of 40-60 kmph over the Bay of Bengal and along and off the West Bengal and adjoining Odisha coast. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea along the Odisha coast until August 24 because of rough conditions. Thunderstorms, lightning and gusty surface winds are also expected across several areas.
For disaster-management authorities, the next two days will therefore be critical. The combination of saturated ground, swollen rivers, vulnerable roads and further forecast rainfall can quickly turn localised waterlogging into flash flooding.
The experience of Kalahandi shows how rapidly conditions can change: within hours, exceptionally heavy rainfall, a swollen river and additional water release resulted in flooding and the evacuation of hundreds of residents. The priority now is to ensure that warnings reach the people who need them, evacuation routes remain functional and essential supplies reach communities before conditions deteriorate further.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Extreme rainfall is a natural hazard, but the scale of its human impact often depends on how prepared communities and institutions are to respond. Odisha’s latest crisis is a reminder that disaster management cannot stop at issuing weather alerts. Early warnings must translate into timely evacuations, accessible shelters, safe drinking water, functioning healthcare and reliable communication with people in vulnerable villages. At the same time, communities facing floods need empathy rather than panic, particularly when families are forced to leave homes, farmers risk losing crops and children are unable to attend school.
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