Odisha faces fresh storm threat as death toll from cyclone Arnab hikes to 6

Odisha's death toll from Cyclone Arnab rose to six on Sunday, while 10 people remained missing, news agency Press Trust of India reported. The state government announced a special relief package for affected families as it prepared for another cyclone expected to hit the Andhra Pradesh coast on November 3.

Cyclone Arnab, which made landfall in Andhra Pradesh on October 28, and the floods that followed have affected 1.18 lakh people, damaged crops across 75,388 hectares and damaged 1,672 houses in Odisha, Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh P Patil said. Relief and rescue operations were continuing alongside preparations for Cyclone Murasu.

The toll from Cyclone Arnab rose after two bodies were recovered from a landslide-hit village in southern Odisha. A search was under way for 10 missing people, officials told PTI.

Gidipabali, a hilltop village on the border of Ganjam and Kandhamal districts that was home to around 26 people, was buried after heavy rain triggered by the cyclone sent large amounts of sludge and debris down the hills, flattening houses.

At least 13 people who escaped the landslide have been moved to a relief centre near G Udaygiri, Kandhamal District Collector Vedbhusan said.

"The landslides have emerged as a major challenge for the state. At least 10 such incidents have been reported during Cyclone Arnab," Patil said.

"Relief and restoration work is progressing on a war footing. Ganjam and Kandhamal districts have been affected the most by Cyclone Arnab and resultant floods," he added.

A senior revenue department official said the state was adopting new strategies based on lessons from the disaster. More than 6,400 personnel have been deployed to speed up the restoration of electricity in cyclone-affected areas of southern Odisha.

According to the India Meteorological Department, Cyclone Murasu is expected to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm and make landfall between Nellore and Narsapur in Andhra Pradesh on the night of November 2-3. Wind speeds are expected to reach 100-110 kmph, with gusts of up to 120 kmph. The cyclone was named Murasu by India, meaning war drum.

Manorama Mohanty, director of the meteorological centre in Bhubaneswar, said Odisha would receive rain from November 2. The intensity was expected to increase on November 3 and continue through November 4 under the cyclone's influence.

Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the government was fully prepared to deal with the approaching cyclone and asked people not to panic. "While retaining the arrangements made for Cyclone Arnab, the state has upgraded its machinery and preparation to deal with the situation," he said.

A high alert has been issued across southern Odisha, including Ganjam, which was severely affected by Cyclone Arnab.

The government has ordered the evacuation of people from low-lying areas and hilly terrain before Cyclone Murasu makes landfall. Some southern districts have also ordered schools and colleges to remain closed until November 3.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi conducted an aerial survey of flood-affected areas and announced a special package for affected people. "Each deluge-hit family in the southern region will get 50 kg of rice and Rs 2,500, besides financial assistance for crop loss and damage to houses and livelihood," he said.

Majhi said the relief package would be reviewed after the damage caused by Cyclone Murasu was assessed. "Disaster response forces remain on standby, low-lying areas are being closely monitored, and fishermen have been strictly advised not to venture into the sea," he said.

The Chief Minister told reporters that an eight-member inter-ministerial central team would visit Odisha from November 2 to 4 to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Arnab.

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