Bhubaneswar, Aug 16: The Odisha government has cancelled the leave of all government officials in view of the worsening flood and rainfall situation across several parts of the state.

The decision was announced after a high-level review meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anu Garg on Sunday as authorities stepped up preparedness and relief operations in the rain-affected districts.

The meeting was attended by Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, Revenue Secretary Aravind Padhee, Water Resources Secretary Shobha Sharma and Urban Development Secretary Usha Padhee, among other senior officials.

Addressing the media after the meeting, the Chief Secretary said that discussions had been held with the Collectors of rain-affected districts and that government officials were already working in the field.

As part of the emergency response, leave of all government officials has been cancelled, including the leave of those who are currently away from duty. The move is aimed at ensuring that the administration remains fully operational and capable of responding quickly to flood-related emergencies.

District Collectors have also been instructed to address relief-related problems and remain alert as rainfall is expected to intensify over the next few days.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), heavy rainfall is expected from August 16 to 18. Rainfall is likely to increase further on August 17, while some improvement is expected on August 18. Weather conditions are expected to improve on August 19.

The state has already received significantly more rainfall than normal. Between June 1 and August 16, Odisha recorded 953 mm of rainfall, around 27% higher than the rainfall received in previous years during the corresponding period.

The ongoing rainfall has affected 49 blocks, five urban areas and 331 gram panchayats. Around 5.15 lakh people have been affected, while approximately 2.37 lakh people have been evacuated to safer locations.

As many as 293 relief camps have been established to provide shelter and assistance to displaced residents.

The administration is monitoring the situation closely, particularly in districts vulnerable to flooding and waterlogging.

The state government has deployed senior officers to Bhadrak, Balasore and Jajpur to strengthen flood management efforts. These officers have previous experience in handling flood situations and will assist the respective District Collectors in coordinating relief and response operations.

An Additional Chief Engineer from the Water Resources Department has also been deployed to support field-level flood management.

The Water Resources Department is working around the clock to manage the flood situation. Officials are monitoring embankments and other vulnerable locations. Once floodwaters recede, repair work on damaged embankments and breaches will be undertaken.

The Chief Secretary said that the government was closely monitoring the situation and that appropriate action would be taken if any incident of mismanagement was reported.