The Odisha government has stepped up preparations ahead of Cyclone Arnab, which is expected to make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast around October 27 or 28, with officials saying the state is fully prepared to deal with the approaching storm.
Odisha Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Sanjay Kumar said high-level meetings were being held with various departments, including the India Meteorological Department (IMD), to review preparedness and coordinate emergency response measures.
“Given the projected high intensity of this cyclone, high-level meetings have been held, including discussions between our officials and those from the IMD. It has been confirmed that a major cyclone is expected; however, the positive aspect is that Odisha is fully prepared. Our state and district administrations, in coordination with the police and our specialised response force, ODRAF, are completely ready,” Kumar told ANI.
The state has drawn up a three-phase deployment plan involving 60 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams, with 20 teams already deployed and undertaking preparedness measures on the ground.
Kumar said additional trained ODRAF personnel were being mobilised, while coordination with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had been strengthened to ensure effective disaster management at the district and block levels.
“There are 20 teams; each of them will be deployed in three phases, coming up to 60 teams. Apart from that, we are also bringing in older, trained ODRAF personnel; we have coordinated well with NDRF. From district level to block level, we will have good preparation,” he said.
According to the IMD, a deep depression over the east-central and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal has intensified into Cyclonic Storm Arnab, prompting a cyclone warning for the Andhra Pradesh and adjoining southern Odisha coasts.
The weather department said the system was likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal by midnight on October 26, before strengthening further into a very severe cyclonic storm on October 27.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police (Central Range), Cuttack, Satyajit Nayak, said on Sunday that police and disaster response teams had been deployed in vulnerable coastal districts as part of precautionary measures.
He said all district Superintendents of Police had been directed to take preventive steps and maintain close coordination with district administrations to respond to emergencies.
The Odisha government has also cancelled leave for disaster response personnel and placed 225 rescue teams on high alert across vulnerable districts.
According to Nayak, four ODRAF teams have been deployed in each of the districts of Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack and Khordha to strengthen emergency response capabilities.
He further said round-the-clock control rooms had been activated in all districts and urged residents to contact the authorities in the event of an emergency.
(ANI Inputs)
