Odisha rains: Schools shut in four districts as IMD issues red alert

Schools remained closed in four districts of Odisha on Monday as heavy rainfall triggered by a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal disrupted normal life, briefly affected train services and prompted the state government to place its field machinery on high alert.

The precautionary closure comes after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall across several parts of the state, with red alerts issued for three districts and warnings of continued rainfall over the next 24 hours.