Bhubaneswar, July 28: Schools and anganwadi centres will remain closed on Wednesday in Odisha's Jajpur, Bhadrak and Keonjhar districts as incessant rainfall heightened flood concerns across northern Odisha, officials said.

Balasore town remained severely waterlogged after receiving 246.6 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, disrupting normal life and inundating several low-lying areas.

Officials said water levels in major rivers, including the Jalaka, Salandi and Baitarani, have risen sharply following continuous heavy rainfall, raising fears of flooding in several districts.

As a precautionary measure, district administrations in Jajpur, Bhadrak and Keonjhar directed all government, government-aided and private schools, along with anganwadi centres, to remain closed on Wednesday.

Engineer-in-Chief of the State Water Resources Department, Dillip Kumar Rout, said North Odisha witnessed intense rainfall over the past 24 hours, with Nilgiri in Balasore district recording the highest precipitation. He warned that the Jalaka, Salandi and Baitarani rivers were likely to witness flood conditions, while the Baitarani could cross the danger mark, affecting low-lying areas in Dhamnagar, Dasarathpur and Chandbali blocks.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said Odisha recorded 84 per cent excess rainfall over the past eight days. He said evacuation was underway in vulnerable areas, and district administrations had arranged cooked food for displaced residents.

In Balasore, extensive waterlogging submerged roads, disrupted traffic and flooded homes in low-lying localities. Areas such as Nuasahi, Gudipada, Chidia Pol and Azimabad experienced flood-like conditions.

Fire Services personnel rescued residents from a hotel near Chidia Pol and evacuated people from Telenga Sahi and Postal Colony after floodwaters entered residential neighbourhoods.

Mayurbhanj district also reported a flood-like situation as water levels in the Budhabalanga and Subarnarekha rivers, along with several smaller streams, continued to rise.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red warning for Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Bargarh and Jharsuguda districts for Wednesday, cautioning against extremely heavy rainfall.