Ganjam, November 1: Still grappling with the devastation caused by Cyclone Arnab, Ganjam is bracing for another spell of severe weather with IMD predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by gusty winds of 50–60 kmph, with wind speeds likely to reach up to 70 kmph in the district on November 3 and 4 under the impact of Cyclone Masaru.

In view of the IMD forecast, the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) has instructed the district administration to closely monitor vulnerable areas and habitations, particularly low-lying and flood-prone locations. Arrangements for evacuation and providing shelter to people in vulnerable areas should be kept ready to meet any emergency situation.

Also Read: Odisha: Telecom connectivity restored in 99% blocks in flood-hit Ganjam

All the Tahasildars, Block Development Officers (BDOs) and Executive Officers in the district have been asked to remain on high alert and ensure adequate preparedness at the field level to meet any eventuality.

Meanwhile, Odisha has identified around 150 landslide-prone locations in Gajapati district and plans to evacuate people from these areas by Monday afternoon, said Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil.

The state is preparing for Murasu while continuing relief and restoration work after Arnab, which affected 1.18 lakh people and damaged 75,388 hectares of crop area and 1,672 houses in the southern districts of Odisha.

The IMD said Murasu is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal around the morning of November 2. It is expected to cross the south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Narsapur between 11.30 PM on November 2 and 4 AM on November 3, with wind speeds of 100–110kmph gusting to 120kmph.

Notably, Ganjam was badly hit by the floods as heavy rainfall triggered by cyclone Arnab.