Bhubaneswar: Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Wednesday conducted a comprehensive review of the state’s preparedness at the State Emergency Operation Centre as Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Arnab began its landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, the minister said the landfall process commenced around 1:30 am near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh. The system is currently stationary and is expected to gradually move north and north-westwards towards Odisha, with Malkangiri district likely to be the first point of impact.
Southern districts including Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Gajapati, Ganjam and Rayagada are anticipated to experience the effects of the cyclone. Rainfall intensity and wind speeds are already rising in these areas as the system edges closer to the state. The minister added that it would take several hours for the cyclone to reach Odisha.
To tackle any eventuality, the state has deployed 313 disaster response teams comprising 60 ODRAF units, nine NDRF teams and 244 fire and emergency service teams. As many as 2,037 cyclone shelters have been kept ready to house evacuated people.
Preventive steps already taken include shifting high-risk pregnant women to safer healthcare facilities and ensuring the return of all fishing boats to shore. Precautionary measures have also been enforced in hilly and landslide-prone zones, with some roads temporarily closed.
“The landfall process is still underway. Once the system starts advancing towards Odisha, all our mechanisms are fully prepared to protect lives and property,” Pujari said.
He underlined that no casualties or significant disruptions have been reported so far and reiterated that achieving zero casualties remains the government’s top priority.
