Cyclone Arnab weakens to deep depression; triggers rains in south Odisha districts

As Cyclone Arnab weakened into a deep depression on Thursday, the remnant weather system continued to trigger torrential rainfall across southern Odisha districts of Gajapati and Ganjam, causing landslides, road damage, river swelling, and inundation of low-lying areas.

The weather system was centred about 60 km south of Malkangiri district headquarters and was moving northwards at a speed of 15 kmph, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. It is likely to weaken further into a depression over the next few hours and, by evening, into a well-marked low-pressure area, it said.

In Gajapati district, continuous rainfall for more than 36 hours disrupted transportation in hilly areas, with landslides and uprooted trees reported at several places.

Rising water levels in the Vamsadhara and Mahendratanaya rivers have heightened concerns, particularly in low-lying and riverside areas.

The Vamsadhara river at Kashinagar in Gajapati district was flowing at 55.58 metres at 7 am on Thursday, above its danger mark of 54.60 metres. Authorities at the Gotta barrage in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh sounded a flood warning, officials said.

Although the water level showed signs of receding, the river continued to flow above the danger mark, posing a threat to settlements along its banks. Further rainfall could aggravate the situation, they said.

The rising water level of the Mahendratanaya river has inundated several villages in Goshani and Rayagada blocks of Gajapati district. Waterlogging has left people stranded in some areas and disrupted movement and daily activities.

In neighbouring Ganjam district, several localities in Sorada town, including Adarsha Colony, Matha Sahi and Kali Temple Sahi, have been inundated, with many people still stranded. Road connectivity to Sorada has also been disrupted.

The Ghodahada river has swollen following heavy rainfall in the Sanakhemundi and Digapahandi areas. Around five feet of floodwater was reportedly flowing over the Ghodahada bridge near Palaspur, disrupting traffic on National Highway 326, which connects Digapahandi with Aska.

Meanwhile, the IMD has warned that a fresh low-pressure area is likely to form over the south Andaman Sea and adjoining areas within the next 24 hours under the influence of an upper-air cyclonic circulation extending up to 5.8 km above mean sea level.

Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi said on Wednesday that officials shifted 2,245 pregnant women to healthcare institutions ahead of the cyclone’s landfall as a precautionary measure. Of them, 931 delivered during the cyclone period.

Local media reports said some families named their newborns after the weather system and stormy conditions, with boys named Arnab, Toofan and Pavan, and girls named Barsha and Batasi. At Patrapur Community Health Centre in Ganjam district, 30-year-old Sukanti Pradhan of Bengei Sahi delivered a baby boy and named him Arnab. At the same hospital, 22-year-old Rukmuni Behera of Chikarada gave birth to a girl at 9.08 am and named her Barsarani.