Cyclone Arnab: Schools have been shut in several parts of Jharkhand, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh amid forecasts of heavy rainfall associated with Cyclone Arnab. The Jharkhand government has ordered the closure of schools till October 29 in several districts in the wake of rainfall triggered by the cyclone.
Schools Closed: The Odisha government announced schools, colleges, and Anganwadi centres to remain closed in six southern Odisha districts.
In Andhra Pradesh, educational institutions in cyclone-affected areas have been declared closed. Beaches have been closed to the public, while movement on coastal roads is scheduled to be suspended from Tuesday afternoon to ensure public safety. the Odisha government announced schools, colleges, and Anganwadi centres to remain closed in six southern Odisha districts of Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Malkangiri, Koraput and Nabarangpur on October 28 and 29, according to a report by the Press Trust of India (PTI) While the Andaman and Nicobar Islands had ordered the closure of all schools till Tuesday.
The eastern coastal states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh closed schools, prohibited sea fishing and kept rescue teams on standby, stepping up precautionary measures ahead of severe Cyclone Arnab’s expected landfall to ensure “zero loss of life and minimal damage to infrastructure”. Several parts of Jharkhand, including the capital Ranchi, have been witnessing rainfall since Wednesday morning, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a heavy rainfall warning for nine districts, according to a report by the Indo-Asian News Service (IANS).
Earlier, the National Crisis Management Committee reviewed cyclone preparedness, with Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan, and stated that besides Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Puducherry, the MHA and the IMD should alert eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, since high rainfall was also expected there.
The IMD has warned of heavy rainfall in Ranchi, Khunti, Simdega, Gumla, Lohardaga, Bokaro, Seraikela-Kharsawan, and East and West Singhbhum districts. The impact of the cyclone is also expected to bring down temperatures across Jharkhand by around three to four degrees Celsius. In view of the prevailing weather conditions and the possibility of further deterioration, authorities have ordered the suspension of classes from kindergarten (KG) to Class 12 in Ranchi and Lohardaga districts on October 28 and 29 as a precautionary measure.
