Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg today reviewed the state’s preparedness, continuous relief operations, and post-disaster restoration efforts in the wake of Cyclone “Arnab” at the Special Relief Commissioner’s (SRC) office in Bhubaneswar.
SRC Rajesh Prabhakar Patil briefed the top administration on emergency protocols, ongoing heavy rains, and systematic mitigation measures.
Key Highlights of the State Response
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Zero Casualty Goal: Operating under the direct supervision of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Revenue & Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, the administration has prioritised absolute human safety.
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Mass Evacuation: Over 31,255 citizens across eight affected districts have been safely relocated to active storm shelters. A robust network of 2,067 shelters (141 permanent, 1,926 temporary) remains fully prepared.
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Vulnerable Care: Out of 4,139 identified pregnant women, 2,245 have been successfully pre-transferred to nearby hospitals and healthcare centres. Meanwhile, 19,143 fishing boats (11,955 from the sea and 7,188 from Chilika) have been brought safely ashore.
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Heavy Rainfall Recorded: In the 24 hours leading up to 8:30 AM today, the state averaged 23.9 mm of rainfall, with isolated intense spells crossing 100 mm in 14 blocks and 3 urban pockets. Top downpours included Pottangi (188.0 mm) in Koraput and Mohana (182.4 mm) in Gajapati.
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Deployment & Financial Relief: A massive workforce, including 62 ODRAF, 9 NDRF, and 244 Fire Service teams, has been deployed alongside heavy machinery. Furthermore, ₹19 crore has been sanctioned as immediate relief across 8 vulnerable districts, with Ganjam receiving ₹5 crore.
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Power Restoration: Under TPSODL, electricity has already been restored to 65.41% of affected consumers (over 1.32 million households), led by strong recovery percentages in Gajapati (81.16%) and Malkangiri (71.61%).
