Following the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) report on a new depression in the southeast Bay of Bengal, the Odisha government has launched extensive preparations at Lok Seva Bhawan, Bhubaneswar.
Chief Minister convened a high-level review meeting to address the impending threat, which is expected to intensify into a deep depression, track toward Andhra Pradesh, and directly impact southern Odisha south of areas previously hit by 'Arnab'.
With significant landslide risks identified based on past devastation across 13 locations in Gajapati and Kandhamal, authorities will begin evacuating residents from foothills and vulnerable zones tomorrow. Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari emphasized that human life is paramount, assuring residents that police will secure abandoned properties and that a special compensation package will soon be announced.
Infrastructure repairs are also underway. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is aggressively repairing damaged National Highways, while officials visiting Ganjam are executing immediate fixes at the Rushikulya River mouths alongside long-term mitigation planning.