Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has deputed five IAS officers to cyclone-prone districts to assist the district administrations and Collectors in preparedness for Cyclone Arnab, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari told reporters on Sunday, IANS reported. The officers have previously worked in those districts and handled flood and cyclone situations there, and will act as observers, the minister said.

Source: IANS, via BizzBuzz

"Their experience will also be utilised. We are deputing them with full authority to take whatever decisions are necessary. They have been authorised and empowered to make such decisions," Pujari said, according to IANS. He said the state government is taking all possible steps to ensure zero casualties and to limit the impact of the impending cyclone, especially flooding from heavy rainfall. In a separate advisory on Sunday, the government asked all senior officers to remain available at headquarters from Monday.

Source: IANS, via HiIndia

5IAS officers deputed to cyclone-prone districts
Oct 28When Arnab is forecast to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast
115-125 kmphForecast wind speed at landfall, gusting to 140 kmph

Sambad English, reporting the General Administration and Public Grievance Department's Sunday order, named the assignments: OSCSC Managing Director K Sudarshan Chakravarthy to Rayagada, Additional Secretary Poma Tudu to Koraput, Additional Secretary Bijay Kumar Dash to Gajapati, Director Sports Yeddula Vijay to Malkangiri, and Additional Secretary to the Chief Minister Maheswar Swain to Nabarangpur, to assist with preparedness and post-cyclone relief, rehabilitation and restoration.

Source: Sambad English

According to the India Meteorological Department, cited by IANS, Cyclone Arnab is likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal before crossing the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam on October 28, with wind speeds of 115-125 kmph gusting to 140 kmph — yaani about 125 kilometres per hour. Sambad English reported a red warning for Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Gajapati and Ganjam, with extremely heavy rainfall expected in southern Odisha districts for two days starting October 28, and heavy rainfall likely in several other districts till October 30. Pujari appealed to people not to panic and to cooperate with the government, saying protecting lives is the government's foremost responsibility.