Bhubaneswar: In view of a possible cyclone, the Puri district administration has announced suspension of all tourist boat and vessel services across Chilika Lake and surrounding water bodies from October 26 to 29.
According to the official advisory, ferry and boat operations will remain completely suspended for four days to ensure the safety and security of tourists and local residents. This suspension is set to disrupt daily transit for thousands of residents in island communities such as Krushnaprasad block, who depend on water transport for routine commuting.
Local Block Development Officers (BDOs), tehsildars, and police personnel have been instructed to maintain strict vigilance along river ghats and lake entry points, enforce compliance across their jurisdictions, and actively spread safety awareness.
The administration has warned of strict legal action against anyone found violating these safety guidelines.
While a deep depression is currently hovering over eastcentral and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal, it is expected to further intensify into a cyclonic storm over eastcentral & adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal by October 26 morning, and into a severe cyclonic storm over westcentral Bay of Bengal around morning of October 27. Thereafter, it is very likely to move northwestwards, intensify further into a very severe cyclonic storm and reach westcentral Bay of Bengal near Andhra Pradesh coast around morning of October 28.
The storm will be named Arnab, which translates to “ocean” in Bengali, contributed by Bangladesh as part of the regional tropical cyclone naming roster maintained by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the IMD.
While the primary landfall is projected between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam with maximum sustained wind speeds reaching 115 to 125 kmph gusting to 140 kmph, the impending severe weather system will extensively impact districts across Odisha with heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and gusty winds starting from October 27.
Alongside restrictions on inland water bodies, coastal advisories have been issued instructing fishermen to refrain from venturing into the sea until conditions improve. To support emergency response and disaster mitigation across vulnerable coastal regions, multiple National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and fire service units have been deployed across key districts as Odisha prepares for the impending weather system.