Bhubaneswar, July 6 -- Heavy rainfall in the upper and middle catchment of the Baitarani River has heightened the possibility of minor flooding in low-lying areas of Odisha, with officials warning on Monday that parts of Jajpur district could be the worst affected.

According to Water Resources Department Engineer-in-Chief Dillip Kumar Rout, the river is expected to cross the danger level after 4.00 PM, while areas downstream remain on alert.

Officials said Jajpur, Akhuapada and Bhadrak could experience minor to moderate flooding over the next 24 hours. The Baitarani basin has received 73 mm of rainfall. While Odisha recorded a 47 per cent rainfall deficit in June, July has already witnessed 327.3 mm of rainfall against the normal averag...