Odisha closed schools in 16 of its 30 districts and raced against time on Tuesday to move people out of vulnerable areas as heavy rain and strong winds preceded the landfall of the “very severe” cyclonic storm Arnab, which is expected to strike the Andhra Pradesh coast in the early hours of Wednesday.
Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh P Patil said the state government plans to shift at least 48,000 people from low-lying areas and landslide-prone locations to safety by evening. The evacuation drive was intensified after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) advanced its landfall forecast, with the cyclone now expected to cross the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, around 350 km from Odisha’s Gopalpur, between 2 am and 4 am on Wednesday, instead of the earlier forenoon prediction.
Gajapati and Nabarangpur districts will see the highest evacuations, with 11,000 people each being moved. People are also being shifted to safety in Malkangiri, Ganjam, Koraput, Rayagada, Kalahandi and Nuapada in line with the government’s zero casualty target, Patil said, adding that district collectors have been directed to take all necessary measures to protect life and property. Priority is being given to pregnant women, the elderly, children and persons with disabilities, while schools in 16 districts will remain shut on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The IMD has issued red alerts for Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Koraput and Nabarangpur, warning of rainfall above 20 cm and wind speeds exceeding 60 kmph on Tuesday night and Wednesday.
Patil said 135 permanent cyclone shelters and around 1,600 temporary shelters have been prepared to accommodate those displaced, and restrictions have been imposed on movement in landslide-prone zones in view of forecasts of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall and squally winds.
The state has deployed 313 rescue teams across 20 districts — 244 from the fire service, 60 from the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and nine from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Ganjam has the highest deployment, with two NDRF teams and nine SDRF teams stationed there. The government has allocated Rs 19 crore for relief operations, including Rs 5 crore for Ganjam and Rs 2 crore each for Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi and Kandhamal.
In its latest bulletin, the IMD said Cyclone Arnab moved at a speed of 17 kmph over the past six hours and was centred about 70 km south-southeast of Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, 180 km south-southwest of Visakhapatnam and 210 km east-northeast of Bapatla as of 8.30 pm. The storm is very likely to move west-northwestwards and then northwestwards, crossing the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to south of Yanam, as a very severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained wind speeds of 125-135 kmph, gusting to 150 kmph, during the early hours of October 28.
Winds blowing at a sustained speed of 40 to 50 kmph and gusting up to 60 kmph were already lashing the southern districts of Ganjam, Gajapati, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri on Tuesday night, the weather office said.
Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the state was fully prepared to deal with the situation, with personnel and equipment deployed at vulnerable locations. He cautioned that heavy rain in the upper catchment areas of rivers in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand could trigger flash floods and waterlogging in western and northern Odisha, while the southern districts were likely to receive heavy rainfall.
The IMD has advised fishermen not to venture into the sea until the cyclone passes, while major ports, including Paradip, Dhamra and Gopalpur, have stepped up their preparedness in view of the approaching storm.
Original Source: https://www.firstpost.com/india/cyclone-arnab-nears-andhra-coast-odisha-evacuates-48000-people-shuts-schools-in-16-districts-14055824.html
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Publish Date: 2026-10-28 00:13:00
