Cyclone Arnab LIVE: Heavy rain lashes Odisha; over 8,000 people evacuated, ministers rush to affected districts

Parts of Odisha were lashed by heavy rain under the influence of a deep depression that made landfall in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh on Thursday (September 23, 2026), prompting the State government to evacuate people living in low-lying and landslide-prone areas, officials said.

Amid fears of floods and landslides in the southern districts due to the downpour, the state government deputed two senior ministers -- Rabi Narayan Naik (Panchayati Raj) and Gokulananda Mallik (Fisheries) -- to Koraput and Gajapati districts, respectively, to oversee arrangements to deal with the situation.

Published - September 25, 2026 08:20 am IST