With a looming tropical cyclone projected to make landfall near the North Andhra Pradesh and South Odisha coasts around October 28, the Odisha government has activated its full disaster management apparatus.
Placing safety above all else, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has ordered the complete closure of all schools, colleges, and Anganwadi centres in five high-risk districts on October 28 and 29.
The administrative clampdown affects five vulnerable southern districts:
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Ganjam
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Gajapati
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Rayagada
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Koraput
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Malkangiri
For areas outside these five high-risk zones, the state government has decentralised decision-making, empowering local District Collectors to announce local educational closures based on real-time weather monitoring.
High-Level Review and “Zero Casualty” Mission
During a crucial, high-level review meeting held at Lok Seva Bhavan on October 24, 2026, alongside Revenue & Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari and senior bureaucrats, CM Mohan Charan Majhi emphasised the state’s readiness. Drawing from Odisha’s globally acclaimed resilience and past experiences handling severe cyclones like Dana and Montha, the Chief Minister firmly reiterated the state’s ultimate target: Zero Casualties.
“With the blessings of Lord Jagannath, we will achieve ‘zero casualties’ this time as well,” assured Chief Minister Majhi during the briefing.
Meteorological Outlook and Emergency Deployment
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the active weather system is projected to trigger intense heavy rainfall and fierce gale-force winds scaling between 80 to 90 km/h. Although current forecasts indicate a higher probability of landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast, South Odisha is bracing for severe downpours and disruptive weather impacts.
To match the scale of the threat, extensive state and national resources have been swiftly deployed across strategic locations:
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17 NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) Teams
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60 ODRAF (Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force) Teams
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225 Fire Service Teams on absolute high alert
Furthermore, the administration has strongly advised fishermen against venturing into open sea waters. Local health centres in vulnerable pockets have been directed to stock up on essential medicines, medical kits, and anti-snake venom injections to mitigate post-landfall health risks.
