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Odisha is fully prepared for the incoming cyclone Arnab, with constant inter-departmental meetings and discussions being held, including with officials from the Indian Meteorological Department. Cyclone Arnab is expected to make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast around October 27th or 28th.
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, Odisha ADG (Law & Order), Sanjay Kumar told ANI here. Around 20 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams are deployed and have started working on disaster preparedness on the ground now, with officials laying out a three-phase plan to tackle the incoming cyclone. A total of 60 teams will be deployed in these three phases. 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, the ADG told ANI. According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Deep Depression intensified into Cyclonic Storm Arnab [Pronunciation: Ornab] over Eastcentral and adjoining Westcentral Bay of Bengal [Cyclone Warning for Andhra Pradesh and adjoining South Odisha coasts]. It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm over westcentral Bay of Bengal by midnight of today, the 26th October and into a very severe cyclonic storm over the same region on 27th October, the IMD added. Talking about preparations for the cyclonic storm, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Central Range, Cuttack, Satyajit Nayak, said on Sunday that police and disaster response teams had been deployed in vulnerable coastal districts of Odisha and that all Superintendents of Police (SSPs) had been directed to take preventive measures and coordinate with the district administration to deal with any emergency. The Odisha government has cancelled leaves of all disaster personnel and mobilised 225 rescue teams on high alert across vulnerable districts. Nayak said four teams of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) had been deployed in each of the districts of Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, and Khordha. Highlighting the emergency response arrangements, Nayak said control rooms were operational round the clock in all districts and urged people to contact them in case of an emergency. (ANI)
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