Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has evacuated approximately 1.65 lakh people from several districts as it continues to monitor the situation following the damage caused by Cyclone Arnab and the movement of Cyclone Murasu, which made landfall in Andhra Pradesh late Monday night.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari reviewed the situation on Tuesday, focusing on the flood-affected districts of Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal, as well as the possible impact of Cyclone Murasu on Odisha.
According to the minister, no district in Odisha had experienced any significant impact from Cyclone Murasu so far. The State recorded an average rainfall of around 2 mm over the preceding 24 hours. Puri received 12 mm of rainfall, while Malkangiri, Koraput and Ganjam recorded 10 mm or less.
Despite the limited rainfall associated with the system, the State government has kept its disaster response machinery on alert and is closely monitoring developments to deal with any eventuality.
Ganjam has accounted for the largest number of evacuations, with around 1,52,010 people moved to safer locations. The corresponding figures were 6,269 in Kandhamal, 5,073 in Malkangiri, 1,101 in Koraput, 736 in Rayagada and 620 in Gajapati.
The combined evacuation figure across these six districts has reached approximately 1,65,809. Around 592 permanent and temporary shelters are currently operational to accommodate people displaced from vulnerable areas.
The State has also strengthened its emergency response arrangements. Around 54 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams, nine National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and more than 100 Fire Service teams have been deployed in the concerned districts.
Senior officials of the district administrations are stationed in the field to supervise relief and rescue operations and ensure that affected residents receive the necessary assistance. Schools in the affected districts remain largely closed, with the respective District Collectors authorised to decide when educational institutions can reopen, depending on local conditions.
Meanwhile, the State government has begun steps to accelerate the assessment of losses and restoration of essential infrastructure damaged by Cyclone Arnab.
Minister Pujari said Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had already announced a compensation package covering damage to houses, agricultural land and businesses. The government has also directed the departments concerned to expedite repair and restoration work.
The Panchayati Raj, Rural Development, Works, Energy and Water Resources departments are undertaking infrastructure restoration on a war footing to bring essential services and facilities back to normal.
To speed up damage assessments, coordinate with district administrations and ensure that compensation reaches eligible beneficiaries without unnecessary delay, the government has deployed four IAS officers as Additional Special Relief Commissioners (Additional SRCs), granting them full powers.
Pawan Kumar, a 2024-batch IAS officer, has been assigned to Gajapati district. Ajit Kumar, a 2022-batch IAS officer, and Tejaswini Behera, a 2023-batch IAS officer, have been deployed in Ganjam. Shiva Malavya, a 2023-batch IAS officer, will oversee the work in Kandhamal.
The deployment is intended to strengthen administrative coordination in the three districts that have been particularly affected by the recent extreme weather conditions.
A Central government team currently visiting Odisha to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Arnab also visited Gajapati district on Tuesday for an on-ground inspection. The team is scheduled to visit Ganjam on Wednesday before returning to Bhubaneswar.
The respective District Collectors are coordinating with the visiting officials and arranging field inspections at locations identified for assessing the extent of damage.
The Minister said District Collectors in the affected districts had already been instructed to submit preliminary damage assessment reports as early as possible. Detailed final reports will subsequently be prepared and forwarded to the Government of India.
The assessment process is expected to provide a clearer picture of the losses suffered by households, farmers and businesses, as well as the damage to public infrastructure.
The State government has reiterated its commitment to supporting people affected by the cyclone and flooding. It is continuing relief operations while working to restore damaged infrastructure, complete loss assessments, and ensure that compensation and essential services reach those in need.
The review meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Anu Garg, Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, Director General of Fire Services Sudhanshu Sarangi, and other senior officials from the concerned departments.
