Odisha on alert in 11 districts as low-pressure system builds over Bay of Bengal

The Odisha government has placed 11 districts, most of them in the state's southern belt, on high alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall, with a well-marked low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal expected to strengthen into a deep depression.

The India Meteorological Department said the system would track west-northwestwards and was likely to reach the coasts of north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha on the morning of September 23, 2026. Winds of 45-55 kmph are expected along the coastline.

Chief Secretary Anu Garg chaired a high-level disaster preparedness meeting on Monday and asked district collectors to monitor conditions closely as they develop across the 11 districts. She said there was no cyclone threat at present, but that heavy rain driven by the low-pressure system was likely in southern Odisha, and the state government was tracking the situation.

As a precaution, Kalinga Ghati, a key ghat road linking Kandhamal district, has been shut to vehicular traffic because of the risk of landslides.

The Water Resources Department took stock of reservoir levels. Balimela and Kolab were holding normal levels with enough capacity to absorb incoming rain, while the Indravati reservoir stood at about 84%, prompting instructions to bring its levels down.

A 24-hour control room has begun operating at the office of the Relief Commissioner. Officials said directions had been issued to check power supply and essential infrastructure in all cyclone- and storm-prone areas as part of the preparations.