Centre Directs 14 States, UTs to Step Up Safety Measures as Cyclone Arnab Approaches

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has instructed state governments and Union Territories to strengthen precautionary measures and maintain close surveillance in view of Cyclone Arnab. Authorities have been asked to regularly assess the situation, take timely action to minimise risks and report significant developments to the Centre.

In an advisory issued to the Chief Secretaries of West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Telangana, Sikkim, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Ministry stressed the need for coordinated disaster preparedness.

The advisory calls for the evacuation of people from vulnerable coastal areas to safer locations and a complete halt to fishing activities. Residents in affected regions have been urged to remain indoors and stay away from unsafe buildings and other vulnerable structures.

The Ministry has also recommended regulating road and rail traffic wherever necessary, with commuters advised to follow official traffic instructions. People have been cautioned against travelling through waterlogging-prone areas, while the use of motorboats and small vessels has been deemed unsafe under the prevailing conditions.

Fisheries departments and fishing harbour authorities have been directed to alert fishing communities and closely monitor marine weather warnings issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Fishermen have been advised to plan their operations strictly in line with the latest location-specific weather advisories, including those issued for the period up to tomorrow.

The MHA has further asked maritime authorities to check the readiness of communication networks, vessel-tracking systems and search-and-rescue arrangements, particularly in sea areas expected to be affected by the cyclone.

For coordination and emergency updates, state governments have been asked to contact the Ministry’s Integrated Control Room for Emergency Response at 011-23438252, 011-23438253 or 011-23438254 and keep the Centre informed of the evolving situation.