Cyclone Arnab: Gajapati Mobilizes 281 Shelters to Evacuate 15,000 People

Advertisement

Gajapati: Authorities in southern Odisha’s Gajapati district have mobilized an extensive emergency apparatus, identifying 15,000 at-risk residents for precautionary evacuation as severe cyclonic storm Arnab churns through the Bay of Bengal.

With meteorological authorities warning of severe disruptions over the coming days, the district administration has designated 281 relief installations—comprising dedicated cyclone shelters and temporary accommodations—to house vulnerable families displaced by the impending tempest.

Administrative preparations were initiated two days prior following official weather alerts, Gajapati District Collector and Magistrate Akshay Sunil Agrawal explained. Forecasters have issued an orange warning for October 27–28, followed by an escalated red warning covering October 28–29 across the region.

To safeguard high-risk individuals, administrative teams have mapped out healthcare contingencies alongside general evacuations. Officials are transferring 210 expectant mothers nearing delivery within the next 15 days to institutional care, moving them into designated maternity homes, Community Health Centres (CHCs), and Primary Health Centres (PHCs).

Each of the 281 earmarked shelter points has been stocked and configured to support displaced populations, with Agrawal detailing that the sites have been fitted with potable drinking water, structured sleeping quarters, proper sanitation infrastructure, and steady food supplies.

Advertisement

Given Gajapati’s vulnerable topography, specialized focus has been placed on landslide mitigation in steep terrain. The administration deployed public address systems across high-risk hillsides to instruct residents on evacuation safety, while pre-positioning excavators, including JCB machinery and related heavy earth-clearing equipment, directly along vulnerable corridors to clear potential debris and open blocked roadways promptly.

The physical rescue and relief grid across the district’s various administrative blocks is backed by specialized responders:

•  10 fire service units deployed locally
•  2 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) contingents allocated by the state government
•  1 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) contingent

According to the India Meteorological Department’s Monday assessment, the severe cyclonic system, positioned over the west-central Bay of Bengal, was projected to strengthen into a very severe cyclonic storm within 12 hours. Current projections indicate the system will move ashore across the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coastlines between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam by the forenoon of October 28.

(Source: ANI)

Advertisement