Jajpur Shuts Schools Amid Relentless Rain; IMD Issues Orange Warning

Jajpur: The Jajpur district administration on Tuesday announced the closure of all government, government-aided and private schools as persistent rainfall continued to affect normal life and raised safety concerns across the district.

As per a notification issued by the District Education Officer (DEO), classes in all educational institutions, including Odisha Adarsha Vidyalayas, were suspended from 2 pm on Tuesday. The order will remain in force until further directions from the administration.

Officials said the decision was taken as a precautionary measure in view of the prevailing weather conditions, with continuous rainfall leading to waterlogging in several areas and increasing the risk for students travelling to and from schools.

The move comes as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in Jajpur and several other districts, including Balasore, Bhadrak, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Subarnapur, Boudh, Nuapada and Balangir.

The weather agency has also cautioned that thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds of 40-50 kmph are likely to occur in these districts. An orange warning has been issued, urging residents to remain alert as the wet spell is expected to persist over the coming hours.

District authorities have appealed to the public to follow official advisories and avoid unnecessary movement in vulnerable areas until weather conditions improve.