Brahmapur: Born to a mother from remote Anshupa area in Odiha’s Ganjam district during the height of Cyclone Arnab’s fury, a newborn boy has emerged as a symbol of hope and resilience amidst the storm. In an enduring tribute to the day of his arrival, the newborn was named ‘Arnab’ by his family.
The baby boy was born at Patrapur Community Health Centre (CHC).
Dr Sambit Begre, in-charge of Patrapur Community Health Centre (CHC), said special care was taken to monitor the health of 28 pregnant women evacuated to the heath facility ahead of the cyclone. Across Ganjam’s 22 blocks, 426 pregnant women were safely evacuated to Maa Gruha centers, where nearly 200 gave birth during the storm. Out of 4,139 identified pregnant women, 2,245 were safely shifted to nearby hospitals and health centres.
Cyclone Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh–Yanam coast with maximum sustained wind speeds of 125 to 135 kmph, gusting up to 150 kmph. Although the system began to weaken into a severe cyclonic storm before tracking toward Chhattisgarh, it continued to lash southern Odisha with relentless heavy to extremely heavy rainfall. Heavy downpours battered several regions over a 24-hour period ending at 8.30 this morning, led by Pattangi in Koraput (188 mm) and Mohana in Gajapati (182.4 mm). Ganjam block received 161.4 mm followed by Chhatrapur (154.6 mm), and Similiguda (143.1 mm).
In response, the state government mobilised emergency personnel and 31,255 people from vulnerable, low-lying, and landslide-prone locations to 324 active shelters across eight affected districts. Across the state, 2,067 shelters (141 permanent and 1,926 temporary) had been kept fully operational and ready.
Earlier speaking to the media, Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari emphasised that achieving zero casualties was the primary objective, with administrations focusing heavily on southern districts such as Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, and Nabarangpur.
