"Farmers in great distress": BJD Chief Naveen Patnaik visits flood-hit Ganjam, takes up grievances with Odisha govt Read @ANI Story | #NaveenPatnaik# #BJD# #Floods# #Ganjam#

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STORY | Odisha evacuates over 30,000 people as cyclone Arnab triggers alert in southern districts The Odisha government has evacuated over 30,000 people to safety, with the entire southern region of the state remaining on high alert on Wednesday after the landfall process of very severe cyclonic storm Arnab was completed along the Andhra Pradesh-Yanam coast, a minister said. Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said the state expects the cyclone to affect all southern districts, with Malkangiri likely to be the worst hit. "The cyclone is presently within Andhra Pradesh, and it will later in the afternoon touch Odisha," Pujari said, adding that personnel and equipment had been mobilised at vulnerable locations and evacuation was continuing. The government’s focus is on Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts, where people from low-lying and landslide-prone areas are being shifted to shelters, he said. Schools and anganwadi in 16 of the state's 30 districts remained closed for the day. As many as 2,037 cyclone shelters have been kept ready, with arrangements for food, drinking water and other essential facilities. The administrations in Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Nuapada districts are also on alert, the minister said. The government has received reports of trees being uprooted in some southern districts, but there has been no report of major damage or casualties so far, Pujari said. READ:

VIDEO | Delhi: Addressing a press conference on Cyclone Arnab, NDRF IG Narendra Singh Bundela, says, "The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued its first warning and forecast on October 23. Based on the forecast, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reviewed the situation with the states on October 25. The Government of India subsequently reviewed the situation at the Cabinet Secretary level, involving all ministries, departments and state governments. As per the latest update, the cyclone has completely entered the landmass. Based on wind speed, it has been downgraded from a very severe cyclonic storm to a severe cyclonic storm. It is expected to weaken further into a cyclonic storm within the next six hours, by around noon, and subsequently downgrade into a deep depression by the evening. Northern Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha have been the worst-affected regions so far. Besides strong winds, several districts have also received significant rainfall. According to information received from the Andhra Pradesh government and the IMD, the affected districts in Andhra Pradesh include Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Anakapalli and Srikakulam. In southern Odisha, Koraput, Ganjam and Gajapati have also received significant rainfall. The Government of India deployed four additional National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams to Andhra Pradesh last night, anticipating that the state would be the worst affected. The additional teams were airlifted using Indian Air Force aircraft. NDRF and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are currently deployed in the affected areas in coordination with the state and central governments. All state-level disaster response mechanisms have also been activated and placed on alert, with personnel working on the field to manage the situation." #CycloneArnab# #NDRF# (Full video available on PTI Videos -