Cyclone Arnab disrupted normal life in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, with winds reaching up to 50 kmph and heavy rain uprooting trees, blocking roads, damaging an 80-foot Gajalakshmi Puja pandal and forcing the suspension of the Bhubaneswar-Jeypore flight service.
The adverse weather continued through the day as emergency teams responded to incidents across the city and its outskirts. Assistant fire officer Jitendra Dash said around 60 fire services personnel were deployed after the rain and wind eased to clear fallen trees and remove debris.
According to Dash, 12 large trees were uprooted in Bhubaneswar and 11 more fell on the outskirts. Fire service teams used mechanical saws to cut and remove the trees, with the green debris cleared by the afternoon. Several roads were temporarily blocked, but the response helped restore movement without prolonged traffic disruption, the report said.
Air connectivity was also affected. Biju Patnaik International Airport director Prasanna Pradhan said interstate flight operations were largely unaffected, while the intra-state service between Bhubaneswar and Jeypore was suspended. A senior official from the state civil aviation directorate said the cyclone’s impact was stronger in the Jeypore region than in other intra-state destinations, including Rourkela, Jharsuguda and Utkela, where services continued normally.
The storm also damaged one of Bhubaneswar’s prominent Gajalakshmi Puja installations at Patia. Around 12.10 pm, strong winds and heavy rain caused the massive pandal to collapse from both sides onto the 80-foot idol of Goddess Laxmi. The idol’s head was severely damaged in the incident.
Two hydra cranes were brought in to remove the debris and stabilise the site. The structure, which was nearly as tall as a seven- to nine-storey building, had been created by about 30 artisans from Jajpur over a month. The damage disrupted preparations at the Club Town ground, where thousands of people were expected for puja, music and dance programmes.
Puja committee secretary Tapan Kumar Nayak said organisers were clearing the debris and attempting to make the venue ready for the celebrations to continue as scheduled until October 31. Idol makers were expected to repair the damaged portion, while the pandal would also be restored.
