BHUBANESWAR: As cyclone Arnab moved inland and tracked across southern districts on Wednesday, the Odisha government shifted more than 43,000 people to safety across eight districts. No loss of life was reported till reports last came in.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who reviewed the situation at the Special Relief Commissioner’s (SRC) control room in the evening, said the state achieved its ‘zero casualty’ target as no loss of life was reported yet.
He said the state and district administrations were fully geared up to deal with the situation. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had spoken to him several times over the phone before and during the cyclone to discuss preparedness and response measures. The Odisha government was also in touch with the Andhra Pradesh government, he added.
Meanwhile, the weather system, which had begun to weaken, was expected to pass through Malkangiri during the night before moving across Nuapada into Chhattisgarh and further north.
While Gajapati reported damage to roads and a bridge following torrential rain, large parts of Ganjam were waterlogged. However, the biggest threat from the cyclone could be to kharif paddy, as several districts received rainfall that could affect crops ready for harvest.
Majhi said 17 blocks in the state had received more than 105 mm of rain. Pottangi in Koraput district recorded the highest rainfall at 188 mm, followed by Mohana in Gajapati district at 182.4 mm. Gajapati was the worst-affected district due to the heavy rainfall, he added. The chief minister expressed satisfaction with the state’s response, saying Odisha had developed robust disaster management capabilities.
As many as 313 disaster response teams had been deployed for rescue and relief operations, he said, adding that two deputy chief ministers, six ministers and seven IAS officers had been assigned supervisory responsibilities in different districts to coordinate cyclone-related operations.
Earlier, Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari told mediapersons that the government’s focus was on Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts. He said the government would provide assistance for crop and house damage and urged people not to panic.
Chief secretary Anu Garg who reviewed the situation directed officials to maintain round-the-clock vigil, ensure the prompt clearance of blocked roads and restore power and water supplies at the earliest.
SRC Rajesh Prabhakar Patil said 19,143 fishing boats had been brought safely back to the coast in view of the rough sea conditions.
The weather system had weakened into a severe cyclonic storm, with wind speeds dropping to 110-120 kmph, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. It was likely to move north-northwestwards over the next 48 hours and weaken gradually.
