September 24, 2026 - IndiaVerve

Deep depression crosses coast; no major damage reported as rain continues

September 24, 2026 by IndiaVerve Staff

Bhubaneswar: The deep depression over north coastal Andhra Pradesh crossed the coast near Kalingapatnam between late Wednesday night and early Thursday, bringing heavy rainfall to several parts of Odisha. The state government said there were no reports of widespread major damage so far, while field teams continued monitoring the situation and undertaking restoration measures.

The system crossed the coast between around 11 pm on September 23 and 1 am on September 24, with maximum sustained winds of 55-65 kmph and gusts reaching 75 kmph. It subsequently moved west-northwestwards over land.

According to official statement, at 8.30 am on Thursday, the system was centred over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and adjoining southern Odisha, around 70 km west-northwest of Kalingapatnam, 80 km south-southeast of Rayagada and 90 km east-southeast of Koraput.

The system is expected to move north-northwestwards and gradually weaken into a depression by Thursday evening, with further weakening likely over the following 24 hours.

The state administration is maintaining close watch, particularly over districts in southern and western Odisha. District administrations and response teams have continued night patrolling, monitoring of river and water levels, traffic management and restoration operations in vulnerable locations.

Localized impacts have been reported in several districts. In Malkangiri, water flowing over parts of the National Highway has led to traffic being diverted through alternative routes near Kangurukonda, MV-90 and Kanyashram. The district administration coordinated with the Chhattisgarh Police for traffic management.

In Nabarangpur, traffic was diverted after water flowed over a bridge in Tentulikhunti block. Two houses were damaged after trees were uprooted, and the affected residents were shifted to safer locations.

In Koraput, more than 100 mm of rain was recorded in Similiguda, but no major damage or loss of life was reported. Kalahandi also reported isolated incidents of uprooted trees, which were cleared promptly.

Gajapati recorded an average rainfall of around 70 mm between 5.30 pm on Wednesday and 6 am on Thursday. With the water level of the Vamsadhara rising, the district administration has continued patrolling along vulnerable riverbank areas, with an ODRAF team deployed.

In Ganjam, officials are monitoring the Vamsadhara and Rushikulya rivers, including through night patrols and management of barrage gates. Rayagada has also maintained night patrols near the Vamsadhara, with no major damage reported so far.

The weather system produced significant rainfall across the state. Similiguda recorded 193.9 mm, Chitrakonda 168.8 mm, Tangi in Khordha 142 mm, Badamba in Cuttack 134 mm, G Udayagiri 125.4 mm, Paralakhemundi 121.4 mm and Gosani 120 mm.

Despite the system moving inland, a red warning remains in force for Nabarangpur for Thursday, while orange warnings have been issued for Koraput, Malkangiri, Bargarh, Nuapada, Balangir and Kalahandi.

Meanwhile, heavy rainfall has disrupted road connectivity at some locations. In Ganjam’s Dharakote block, a temporary road over the Nandini river near Manikyapur was washed away, affecting connectivity to six villages while construction of a permanent bridge is underway.

School closures have also been reported in several districts because of the weather. School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond said closures could be extended by another one or two days depending on local conditions. He said the government would assess the impact on students’ studies and consider extra classes to make up for missed lessons

National Film Award-winning Odia film ‘Lahari’ team meets Odisha Governor

September 24, 2026 by IndiaVerve Staff

Bhubaneswar: The team of National Film Award-winning Odia film ‘Lahari’, led by producer Jhilik Bhattacharjya, paid a courtesy visit to Governor Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati at Lok Bhavan on Wednesday.

During the interaction, the Governor congratulated the team for the film’s national recognition and described the achievement as a matter of pride for Odisha. He appreciated the efforts of everyone associated with the film and extended his best wishes for their future endeavours.

The Governor also encouraged the filmmakers to continue producing meaningful and impactful cinema. He suggested that films could be used as a medium to inspire the younger generation and create a positive impact on society.

Kambhampati further appreciated the team’s contribution towards promoting Odia cinema at the national level.

The interaction also provided an opportunity for the Governor and members of the ‘Lahari’ team to exchange views on the film and its achievement at the national level

Odisha launches first cluster development workshop for agriculture, fisheries sectors

September 24, 2026September 24, 2026 by India Verve Desk

Bhubaneswar: Odisha held its first consultation workshop on the Integrated Cluster Development Initiative (ICDI) on Thursday. The event took place at the State Convention Centre in Lokseva Bhawan. It focused on boosting agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, and dairy production across the state.

The workshop was jointly organised by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), NITI Aayog, and Odisha’s Planning and Coordination Department. Officials discussed cluster-based development potential, gap areas, and institutional coordination. They also laid out a roadmap for future action.

EAC-PM Chairman Professor S. Mahendra Dev attended the inaugural session. He called for a shift from a production-first approach to an income-first approach for farmers. He said the state should focus on raising farmer earnings, not just output volumes.

Professor Dev also pushed for stronger post-harvest processing. He highlighted the role of small farmers, Farmer Producer Groups, and cooperatives in driving growth. He expressed confidence that Odisha could become a model for other eastern states.

Officials confirmed that Puri and Ganjam districts will serve as pilot clusters. Angul, Dhenkanal, Sambalpur, and Deogarh will follow in the next phase. District Collectors from all these regions attended the workshop.

Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg said the state’s growth would directly support India’s broader development goals. She called for balanced development across every region of Odisha. She stressed the need to strengthen the full value chain, from farm production to final markets.

Garg also spoke about linking local produce to bigger markets. She said women’s self-help groups should play a larger role in cluster-based economic activity. She added that coordination between government bodies, research institutions, and private players remains essential for success.

Agriculture Department Commissioner Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav presented data on Odisha’s horticulture sector. He said the state is a major producer of fruits and vegetables nationally. Odisha grows horticultural crops on nearly 16.53 lakh hectares, he said. The state produces around 11.1 million metric tonnes of vegetables every year.

Jadhav noted that 3.83 lakh farmers currently work across 95 horticulture clusters. He said Ganjam and Puri will initially focus on cashew, mango, vegetables, and spices. Plans include better storage, processing, and market access for these crops.

Fisheries Department Secretary Prem Chandra Chaudhary spoke about the blue economy’s role in Odisha’s growth. He detailed plans for deep-sea fishing, a dedicated shrimp mission, and reservoir-based fish farming. He said Ganjam and Puri will also anchor fisheries development under the new initiative.

Chaudhary outlined a separate strategy for the dairy sector. He said the plan covers animal health, fodder supply, milk collection, and cooling infrastructure. The goal, he said, is to raise farmer income through better value addition.

IFPRI Senior Research Fellow Dr Sudha Narayanan delivered the welcome address at the session. She said the initiative would speed up grassroots-level growth for farmers across Odisha.

Technical sessions covered field studies, value chain mapping, and cluster identification criteria. Officials weighed factors like market demand, export potential, employment generation, and long-term sustainability. Senior officials from state and district administrations attended alongside experts from research and private institutions.

Asian Games 2026: Indian athletes shine as they win more medals

September 24, 2026 by India Verve Desk

New Delhi: India’s medal tally moved to 16 on Day 5 of the Asian Games 2026, with the country collecting one gold, six silver and nine bronze medals after a series of podium finishes across wushu, rowing, shooting and athletics.

Naorem Roshibina Devi added a silver medal in the women’s 60kg wushu event after losing the final to China’s Xiaoyu Zhang. The result marked Roshibina’s third consecutive Asian Games podium finish, according to reports.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Roshibina Devi, saying: “Congratulations to Naorem Roshibina Devi on winning the Silver Medal in the Women’s Sanda 60kg event. This is a noteworthy achievement…winning medals in 3 consecutive Asian Games. Her consistency, courage and determination are truly commendable. Best wishes for all future endeavours.”

India also secured bronze in rowing, with Satnam Singh and Salman Khan finishing third in the men’s double sculls final. Their result added another medal to India’s growing tally on a busy day of competition.

Shooting produced another podium finish as Anantjeet Singh Naruka and Parinaaz Dhaliwal won bronze in the mixed team skeet event.

Athletics brought another notable result, with Seema winning bronze in the women’s 10,000m. India also booked a place in the final of the mixed 4x400m relay after finishing second in the second heat.

In rowing, Balraj Panwar finished fourth in the men’s singles sculls final. The Indian women’s four team comprising Gurbani Kaur, Aleena Anto, Tendenthoi Haobijam and Poonam finished last in the final.

The canoe sprint events proved difficult for India. Megha Pradeep finished fourth in the women’s canoe single 200m semifinal and missed qualification for the final. Soniya Devi and Parvathy Geetha were eliminated after finishing last in the women’s kayak double 500m semifinal.

The men’s kayak four team of Naocha Laitonjam, Varinder Singh, Oinam Arun Singh and Harshawardhan Shaktawat finished sixth in the 500m final A, while Raju Rawat and Gyaneshwor Singh Philem finished ninth in the men’s canoe double 500m final.

In shooting, India’s men’s 10m air pistol team of Kamaljeet, Kedarling Balakrishna and Aakash Bhardwaj finished fourth and missed out on a medal. None of the three shooters progressed to the individual final.

Table tennis saw several positive results. Diya Chitale and Yashaswini Ghorpade defeated Iran’s Setayash Iloukhani and Mashid Ashtari in their women’s doubles Round of 32 match. Sreeja Akula and Syndrela Das also advanced after defeating Mongolia’s Bolor-Erdene Batmunkh and Burenjargal Sanjaa. In men’s singles, Manush Shah defeated Malaysia’s Wong Qi Shen 4-0 in the opening round.

Squash also delivered a strong result for India as Anahat Singh defeated Malaysia’s Au Yeong Wai Lynn to advance to the women’s singles quarter-finals. In mixed doubles, however, Suraj Chand and Shameena Riaz were eliminated in the Round of 16 after losing 0-2 to fellow Indians Joshana Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar.

In athletics, Anamika Aneesh and Pooja were placed sixth and ninth respectively after the heptathlon high jump, with Anamika on 1,771 points and Pooja on 1,761 points. Earlier, following the 100m hurdles, Pooja was eighth and Anamika tenth.

Swimming saw Benedicton Beniston finish fifth in his heat and 12th overall in the men’s 50m butterfly heats.

India also faced setbacks in boxing. Sumit Kundu’s men’s 70kg campaign ended because of an injury, while Sakshi was beaten in her women’s 51kg bout. Parveen Hooda, competing in the women’s 65kg category, received a walkover.

Deep Depression weakens after crossing Andhra coast, Odisha remains on alert

September 24, 2026 by India Verve Desk

Bhubaneswar: The deep depression over north coastal Andhra Pradesh crossed the coast near southwest of Kalingapatnam between 11 PM on September 23 and 1 AM on September 24, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 55–65 kmph and gusts reaching up to 75 kmph.

After crossing the coast, the system moved west-northwest and continued inland. At 8:30 AM on September 24, it was centred over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south Odisha, near latitude 18.5°N and longitude 83.5°E.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the system moved northwestward at 7 kmph over the previous six hours. At the time, it was about 70 km west-northwest of Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, 80 km south-southeast of Rayagada, 90 km east-southeast of Koraput and 170 km east-southeast of Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh.

The deep depression is expected to move north-northwestward and gradually weaken into a depression by the evening of September 24. It is likely to continue moving in the same direction over the following 24 hours while weakening further.

With the system having crossed the coast, the Odisha government is closely monitoring the situation, particularly across the southern and western districts. District administrations and field response teams remain on alert, with night patrolling, traffic management, river and water-level monitoring and rescue arrangements continuing in vulnerable areas.

No major damage has been reported so far, according to reports received from the districts.

In Koraput, light to moderate rainfall was recorded, and the overall situation remained normal. Similiguda received more than 100 mm of rainfall, but no major damage or loss of life was reported.

In Malkangiri, overflowing water at certain points on the national highway led to traffic diversions near the bridges at Kangurkonda, MV-90 and Kanyashram. Alternate routes are being used, with coordination established with Chhattisgarh Police.

Kalahandi reported isolated incidents of uprooted trees, which were cleared promptly, while the overall situation remained normal.

In Nabarangpur, traffic was diverted through an alternate route after water overflowed over a bridge in Tentulikhunti block. Two houses were damaged after trees were uprooted, and the affected residents were safely relocated.

Gajapati recorded moderate rainfall between 5:30 PM on September 23 and 6 AM on September 24, with average rainfall of around 70 mm.

With the water level of the Vamsadhara River rising, the district administration has intensified patrolling along riverbank areas and deployed an ODRAF team.

Ganjam officials are keeping a close watch on the Vamsadhara and Rushikulya rivers. Night patrolling and operation of barrage gates are also being carried out as part of water management measures.

In Rayagada, night patrolling was conducted in areas near the Vamsadhara river, with no major damage reported so far.

The weather system has brought significant rainfall to several parts of Odisha. On September 24, rainfall exceeding 100 mm was recorded in several blocks, including 193.9 mm at Similiguda in Koraput, 168.8 mm at Chitrakonda in Malkangiri, 142 mm at Tangi in Khordha, 134 mm at Baramba in Cuttack, 125.4 mm at G. Udayagiri in Kandhamal, 121.4 mm at Paralakhemundi in Gajapati and 120 mm at Gosani in Gajapati.

Despite the system moving inland, weather warnings remain in force for several districts. Nabarangpur is under a Red Warning on September 24, while an Orange Warning has been issued for Koraput, Malkangiri, Bargarh, Nuapada, Balangir and Kalahandi.

The state administration continues to assess local conditions and has kept field-level response measures in place. These include monitoring rivers and water levels, night patrolling in vulnerable areas, traffic diversions where required, clearing uprooted trees and relocating affected residents to safer locations.

Officials are also maintaining rescue and relief preparedness while monitoring rainfall, river levels, and other vulnerable locations.

According to the current assessment, no major large-scale damage has occurred so far. The overall situation in the affected districts remains largely under control, with district administrations and response teams continuing to monitor developments and respond to local requirements.

Odisha approves 27 major projects worth Rs 2.47 lakh crore

September 24, 2026 by India Verve Desk

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has approved 27 major investment projects involving a total investment of Rs 2.47 lakh crore, with the projects expected to create around 50,162 employment opportunities across the state.

The approvals were given at the 46th High Level Clearance Authority meeting held at Lok Seva Bhawan and chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.

The approved projects cover a wide range of sectors, including data centres, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, lab-grown diamond manufacturing, steel, chemical manufacturing, pumped storage hydropower and ultra-supercritical coal-based thermal power.

The project portfolio also includes investments in green hydrogen, green ammonia, green methanol and electro-sustainable aviation fuel, along with a multispeciality hospital, textile manufacturing from ginning to garmenting, battery energy storage systems, and shipbuilding and ship repair.

The projects are set to come up across 15 districts of Odisha.

These include Nuapada, Khordha, Ganjam, Sundargarh, Bhadrak, Deogarh, Angul, Rayagada, Koraput, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Kalahandi, Puri, Jajpur and Dhenkanal.

According to the Odisha government, the investments are expected to strengthen the state’s industrial ecosystem, promote advanced manufacturing, and enhance value addition in critical minerals.

The projects are also aimed at supporting balanced regional development across Odisha.