Bhubaneswar: A weather system over the Bay of Bengal is steadily organising into what could become Cyclone Arnab, prompting Odisha to put its coastal districts on high alert and set an explicit target of zero casualties as the state braces for landfall around the morning of 28 October.
According to the current outlook, the system is expected to intensify into a deep depression on 25 October and strengthen into a cyclonic storm by the morning of 26 October. Its projected landfall area lies between north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha, putting a long stretch of the eastern coastline in the path of heavy rain, strong winds and rough seas.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has reviewed the state’s preparedness, with the administration directed to ensure that no life is lost. The zero-casualty goal has become the benchmark for Odisha’s disaster management in recent years, built on early warnings, evacuation of vulnerable coastal pockets and pre-positioning of rescue teams and relief material.
A red warning is in force for the districts of Puri, Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri, where extremely heavy rainfall is expected as the system approaches. District administrations have been asked to keep shelters ready, stock food and drinking water, and ensure that power and communication lines can be restored quickly after the storm passes.
Fishermen have been advised to stay ashore and not venture into the sea, with conditions over the Bay of Bengal expected to deteriorate sharply as the system intensifies. Coastal communities, for whom a few days without fishing means lost income, are being urged to treat the warning as non-negotiable until the system crosses the coast.
The threat is not confined to Odisha. Kerala and Tamil Nadu are also under red alert for extremely heavy rain, a reminder that a Bay of Bengal system can send bands of intense rainfall far down the southern peninsula even before landfall. Authorities in both states are monitoring reservoirs, low-lying areas and urban drainage in anticipation of waterlogging.
Odisha’s experience with cyclones has shaped a response machinery that is now among the most practised in the country. From the devastation of the 1999 super cyclone to the large-scale evacuations of recent years, the state has learned that early action saves lives even when it disrupts daily routines for days.
The coming days will test that machinery again. Evacuation decisions, the timing of school and transport closures, and the management of shelters will all be weighed against the storm’s track, which can still shift as it gathers strength over warm Bay waters.
For residents of the southern coastal districts, the message from the administration is consistent: stay informed through official bulletins, move early if asked to evacuate, and do not return to low-lying areas until the all-clear is given. With landfall still days away, the window for preparation remains open — and officials are determined to use every hour of it.
