Industry Odisha Bureau, Oct 28: Odisha has evacuated over 30,000 people as southern districts brace for Cyclone Arnab. Notably, the system made landfall along the Andhra Pradesh-Yanam coast on Wednesday as a very severe cyclonic storm.
Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said that Malkangiri was likely to face the strongest impact. Authorities have prioritised Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangapur districts. They have shifted residents from low lying areas and landslide prone locations to safer places.
Schools and anganwadis in 16 of Odisha’s 30 districts remained closed as a precaution. The state has also kept 2,037 cyclone shelters ready, with arrangements for food, drinking water and other essential supplies. Administrations in Kalahandi, Kandhamal, and Nuapada have been placed on alert.
Uprooted trees have been reported in some southern districts. However, no major damage or casualties had been reported so far, Pujari said. Personnel and equipment have been deployed in vulnerable areas, and evacuation operations are continuing.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Arnab crossed the coast between 2 am and 8 am on Wednesday. Wind speed was recorded at 125-135 km per hour.
The IMD said that the landfall process had been completed, with the storm’s central region moving entirely over land. The system weakened into a severe cyclonic storm at 8:30 am, with maximum wind speed recorded at 110-120 kmph.
Authorities continue to remain on alert as the effects of cyclone Arnab are expected to extend into the state’s southern districts.
