Cyclone Arnab, Floods Affect 1.18 Lakh People in Odisha; 75,855 Evacuated

Bhubaneswar: More than 1.18 lakh people have been affected by Cyclone Arnab and the subsequent floods in Odisha, with Ganjam and Kandhamal among the worst-hit districts. The administration has evacuated 75,855 people to safer locations and opened 396 relief camps as rescue, relief and restoration operations continue across the affected areas.

Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, while briefing the media on the situation, said that efforts were underway on a war footing to restore normalcy in the affected districts.

According to the SRC, three deaths have been reported in Kandhamal district. The disaster has also affected 75,388 hectares of crop area and damaged 1,672 houses. As part of the evacuation measures, 807 pregnant women were shifted to safer locations, of whom 399 have since given birth.

Power and Water Restoration Underway

Power restoration work has been accelerated across cyclone-affected areas of southern Odisha, with more than 6,400 personnel deployed for the operation. Electricity supply has been fully restored in Boudh, Malkangiri and Rayagada districts, as well as Berhampur city. Overall, power supply has been restored to more than 96 per cent in southern Odisha.

Drinking water supply is also being gradually restored in the affected areas. In Berhampur, against the daily requirement of 90 million litres per day (MLD), around 70 MLD is currently being supplied. Twenty water tankers have been deployed to meet the additional requirement.

The administration has disinfected and restored 2,575 tubewells and 162 rural piped water supply projects. Drinking water bottles and pouches have also been distributed in the affected areas.

At Janibali, work is progressing on the construction of a sand bund to facilitate the restoration of water supply. Around 120 workers and three poclain machines have been deployed for the operation.

Preparedness for Fresh Weather System

Meanwhile, the State Government has stepped up preparedness in view of another weather system developing over the Bay of Bengal. The deep depression is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast by November 3. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an alert for the Andhra Pradesh coast, and vulnerable areas are being closely monitored.

The government has directed the administration to take timely measures to address the possible impact of the system, including rainfall and rough sea conditions. Arrangements are being made to evacuate people from low-lying and high-risk coastal areas to safer locations, while disaster response teams have been kept on standby.

Relief camps, drinking water and emergency medical services are also being readied as part of the preparedness measures. Fishermen have been strictly advised not to venture into the sea due to the expected rough conditions.

The State Government is monitoring the situation and coordinating preparedness and response measures to minimise risks in vulnerable areas.