After heavy rains overnight, red alert sounded in Odisha: IAF choppers have been pressed into action

After continuous heavy rains in Odisha, the government has issued a red alert in the state. According to NDTV,  more rains are expected:Heavy rains were also known to lash parts of the New Delhi, according to an ANI tweet:The red alert in Odisha comes after flash floods crippled the state. According to IANS, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has kept four Mi-17 helicopters ready for rescue and relief operations in Odisha where heavy rains triggered flash floods in parts of Rayagada and Kalahandi districts.Heavy to very heavy rainfall, coupled with gusty surface wind, is likely to hit several parts of Odisha due to low pressure over the Bay of Bengal, the weather department had said on Sunday. The Met office department issued advisories for fishermen and told them not to venture into the sea, saying that the sea condition will be rough to very rough.The Met department also predicted strong gusty surface wind from the northwesterly direction in the southern region and southeasterly direction in northern region with a speed reaching 45-50 kmph, and gusts up to 60 kmph, which are likely to prevail along and off the Odisha coast."Four helicopters are on standby awaiting weather clearance," said the Defence ministry in the statement. The Odisha government sought the help of the army and the air force to rescue the marooned persons and urged the Central government to provide four helicopters to intensify relief and rescue operations.[caption id="attachment_2985296" align="alignleft" width="380"]

Representational image. PTI[/caption]Several bridges, including a railway overbridge, were washed away in the floods caused by incessant rains in the two districts. Besides, major roads were damaged by floodwaters.The defence ministry said that since it is not possible to rescue them through boat by Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force and fire services, the assistance of IAF is required for rescue and airdrop of relief material in the affected areas of Rayagada district.The Hindu reported that the Odisha government air-dropped packets of food in the district. The report said that "a record 395.25 mm rainfall was measured at Narla block of the district while Lanjigarh recorded 254.4 mm, Thuamul Ramput (207.3 mm), Bhawanipatna (200 mm), Madanpur (167 mm), Kalampur (136 mm) and Koksara (135 mm) during past 24 hours.""Four helicopters have been requisitioned. State Emergency Operation Center in Special Relief Commissioner Office is tracking the situation closely," the statement had said.Furthemore, the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) had predicted that Odisha was likely to receive heavy rainfall due to formation of a low pressure area created in Northwest Bay of Bengal off North Odisha.Met department also said that under the influence of the upper air cyclonic circulation over Northwest Bay of Bengal and its neighbouring areas, a low pressure area was formed over Northwest Bay of Bengal off North Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal coast at 8.30 am on Saturday.Fishermen were advised to be cautious while venturing into sea.In previous instances of rain hitting the nation, reports stated that the monsoon has reached Maharashtra and West Bengal in an article on 12 June. The article said that the south-west monsoon has arrived in Odisha, and that moderate to heavy rainfall would be expected in several parts of the state.With inputs from agencies