Odisha government responds to Cyclone Arnab devastation

The Odisha government has announced several relief and mitigation measures following the destruction caused by Cyclone Arnab and subsequent landslides. To address the impact on education, School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond announced that the state will provide fresh textbooks to students in the Ganjam and Gajapati districts who lost their materials in the floods. The government is also assessing damage to school buildings to plan necessary repairs.

In response to fatal landslides, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari stated that the government plans to permanently relocate high-risk villages from hilltops and foothills to safer locations on the plains. A survey is currently underway to identify vulnerable settlements, particularly in the Gajapati and Kandhamal districts.

Landslides have caused significant casualties, including five confirmed deaths in Kandhamal and Ganjam, with ten individuals still reported missing in Ganjam. In the village of Gidipabali, massive debris swept away much of the settlement. Survivors currently in relief camps have requested rehabilitation, which the state intends to facilitate through the Antyodaya Gruha Yojana welfare scheme. Search operations involving the NDRF, ODRAF, and other emergency services are set to resume.