Now Reading: Cyclone Arnab: Odisha deploys 302 teams, 5 districts shut schools
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Cyclone Arnab: Odisha deploys 302 teams, 5 districts shut schools
The Story in Brief
Odisha has put 302 rescue teams on standby as Cyclone Arnab approaches the Bay of Bengal, with the storm expected to make landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast on 28 October. The state government has declared a holiday for schools, colleges and anganwadi centres on 28 and 29 October in five districts: Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri. Collectors in other districts will decide on closures based on local weather conditions.
The teams include personnel from the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the fire services. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has instructed officials to prioritise saving lives. Fishermen have been barred from going to sea, and movement has been restricted in hilly areas, near waterfalls, dams and tourist spots. Pregnant women and serious patients will be shifted to health centres if needed. Leave for employees in affected districts has been cancelled, and relief camps and control rooms are operational.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Odisha government's preparations focus on the five most vulnerable districts, where schools and public movement have been restricted two days before the expected landfall. The deployment of 302 teams, combining state and central forces, signals an attempt to cover both evacuation and post-landfall relief. What remains unresolved is the storm's exact trajectory: the weather department says it will hit Andhra Pradesh, but heavy rain warnings persist for southern Odisha, leaving coastal and hilly areas on alert. The next milestone is 28 October, when landfall and the actual intensity of rain and wind will determine whether the precautionary shutdowns and movement curbs need to be extended beyond 29 October.
Source: prabhatkhabar.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
