Cyclone Arnab weakens, but floods inundate over 1,000 villages in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: The remnants of Cyclone Arnab have weakened over central India, but the damage in Odisha has shifted to severe inland flooding, with more than 1,000 villages affected in Ganjam and Gajapati districts.

Government figures show that 299 villages across 22 blocks in Ganjam and 711 villages in seven blocks of Gajapati have been affected by flooding and heavy rainfall. Around 59,028 people have been evacuated to safety across nine districts, including 11,882 from Ganjam.

The state has deployed 313 rescue teams, comprising nine National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, 60 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams and 244 fire services teams. Authorities have also arranged relief shelters for displaced residents.

The rainfall has been exceptionally heavy. Patrapur recorded 546 mm and Sorada 503 mm in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Thursday. G Udayagiri received 462.4 mm, while Mahendragarh recorded 458.8 mm.

Several rivers remain in spate. The Rushikulya was flowing at 19 metres at Purushottampur, above its danger level of 16.8 metres. The Vansadhara, Mahendratanaya and Bahuda rivers have also caused flooding in nearby settlements.

Road and rail connectivity has suffered extensive damage. A stretch of National Highway 326 in Gajapati district was washed away, disrupting the route between Ganjam and Mohana. Floodwater near railway bridges and submerged tracks have also disrupted services on the Howrah–Chennai route, with several trains cancelled or diverted.

In one rescue operation, an Indian Coast Guard ALH Mk-III helicopter winched six people, including two children, from a flooded public health centre at Jagmohan in Dharakote. Efforts to airlift more than 2,000 people stranded in cut-off villages have been affected by low cloud cover and difficult weather conditions.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari are scheduled to conduct an aerial survey of Ganjam and Gajapati on Friday. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has spoken to the chief ministers of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Puducherry, assuring them of central assistance. Inter-ministerial teams are expected to visit the affected states to assess the damage.

In neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has put the preliminary damage from Arnab at Rs 4,600 crore. Seven people have died, while power infrastructure losses are estimated at Rs 500 crore. Crops across 2.24 lakh hectares have also been affected.

The weather threat may not be over. The India Meteorological Department has said a separate low-pressure area over the South Andaman Sea is likely to intensify into a depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal around October 31. It is expected to move west-northwestwards, with its subsequent movement being monitored.

(With inputs from media reports)