Cyclone Arnab has left a trail of destruction across southern Odisha. At least three people, a couple and their nine-month-old son, were killed when a landslide buried their home in Kandhamal district on Friday, October 30, as days of non-stop rain swelled rivers and cut off hundreds of villages in Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh for the families of each person who died.
The storm made landfall near Yanam on the Andhra coast earlier in the week, and the state had been bracing for the worst in Malkangiri on the Andhra border. Instead, as Majhi put it, "'Arnab' wreaked havoc in Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts."
How bad is the flooding
Nearly a dozen landslides followed the heavy rain. The Rushikulya river overflowed, washing away roads and bridges and flooding Sorada, Aska, Bhanjanagar, Purushottampur and parts of Sanakhemundi. On Friday the river stood at 19 metres at Purushottampur, well above its danger level of 16.8 metres.
The rainfall numbers explain why. Patrapur in Ganjam recorded 546 mm by Thursday morning, and G Udayagiri in Kandhamal 462.4 mm. Officials said Ganjam and Gajapati received close to what they normally get in a full year in just a few days.
Around 50,000 people have been severely affected in Ganjam, 30,000 in Gajapati and 12,000 in Kandhamal. Chief Secretary Anu Garg said about 300 villages in Ganjam were hit and 70 remained cut off. More than 23,000 people are staying in relief camps, and the state has set up 830 shelters.
Rescue and relief operations
Four helicopters of the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard have been air-dropping food packets at 21 identified locations in Ganjam, Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh P Patil said. A Coast Guard helicopter also rescued six people, including two women, two children and an elderly person, from a flooded health centre at Jagmohan in Ganjam.
On the ground, NDRF and ODRAF personnel are taking cooked food by boat to people stranded on rooftops and higher ground. In all, 313 rescue teams are working across the state, with more than 100 of them in Ganjam and Gajapati. The government has sent 30 senior OAS officers to help the Ganjam administration and sanctioned an extra Rs 20 crore for the district.
"Protecting lives and property of the people during times of crisis is my utmost priority," Majhi wrote on X after an aerial survey. He has also spoken to Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the damage.
| Key fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Deaths reported | 3 (landslide in Kandhamal) |
| Worst-hit districts | Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal |
| People in relief camps | More than 23,000 |
| Rescue teams deployed | 313 (NDRF, ODRAF, Fire Services) |
| Food air-drop points | 21 locations in Ganjam |
| Ex gratia | Rs 4 lakh per deceased |
| Extra funds for Ganjam | Rs 20 crore |
| Central team visit | November 2 |
Roads, trains and the President's visit
National Highway 16 has reopened after the Bahuda river receded, and rail services have resumed on the east coast line, though several trains are still cancelled or short-terminated. About 300 metres of NH-326 was washed away in Gajapati's Mohana block, so travellers in the region should check road status before setting out.
President Droupadi Murmu has cancelled her three-day visit to Odisha that was to begin on November 3 and spoke to the Chief Minister about the flood victims.
Political row
The opposition BJD, Congress and Left parties have accused the BJP government of not taking enough preventive steps despite advance warnings from the India Meteorological Department. The government says relief is its top priority and that the Centre has assured support.
What it means for people in the region
For families in the affected blocks, the coming days are about food, drinking water and getting back home safely as water levels fall. Health officials typically watch for water-borne diseases after floods of this scale, so boiling drinking water and staying away from flood water is advisable. Anyone travelling to or through south Odisha should check train status with the railways and follow district administration advisories.
What happens next
Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said a central team will visit Odisha on November 2 to assess the damage, which will decide the scale of central assistance. The state is expected to begin a detailed loss assessment of crops, houses and roads once the water recedes.
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