The Odisha government has begun evacuating people from low-lying and vulnerable areas and has deployed 128 teams of NDRF, ODRAF, and Fire Services across eight coastal districts as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of an impending cyclonic storm developing over the Bay of Bengal.

According to the IMD’s latest bulletin issued at 9 pm on Sunday, a deep depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal has been steadily intensifying. The system currently lies about 790 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and 900 km south-southeast of Gopalpur (Odisha).

“The system is likely to move west-northwestwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal within the next 12 hours,” the IMD stated. It further warned that the system could strengthen into a severe cyclonic storm by the morning of October 28.

District administrations in Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, and Khordha have been placed on high alert. Control rooms have been activated, and fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has reviewed the preparedness measures, directing officials to ensure zero casualties and maintain round-the-clock monitoring of the evolving situation.