Srikakulam, the northernmost district of Andhra Pradesh, is facing a flood crisis driven by two forces at once: torrential rain from Very Severe Cyclone Arnab and a massive surge of water flowing in from neighbouring Odisha. Several villages have been flooded and cut off, road and rail links have snapped, and standing crops across the district have suffered extensive damage.

On Thursday, four major rivers — the Vamsadhara, Nagavali, Mahendrathanaya and Bahuda — were in spate following three consecutive days of heavy rainfall. The worst situation emerged along the Bahuda near Itchapuram. After authorities in Odisha opened the floodgates of the Baghalati Dam, the river turned ferocious, recording an unprecedented rise in its water level in Srikakulam district. Officials have now issued the third danger warning for the river.

This episode highlights a recurring vulnerability for north coastal Andhra Pradesh. Several rivers draining into Srikakulam originate in or pass through Odisha, which means the district’s flood risk depends not only on local rainfall but also on reservoir operations across the border. When upstream dams release water during an extreme weather event, downstream areas absorb the impact with little room for local control. The situation is likely to renew focus on real-time inter-state coordination of dam releases during cyclones.

NH-16 and Rail Services Disrupted

The flooding of National Highway 16, the Kolkata–Chennai corridor, is among the most significant consequences. The highway is a key freight and passenger artery along India’s east coast, and traffic on the stretch came to a total halt.

Rail services were hit as well. Tracks were submerged at Tallabhadra in Sompeta mandal and at Jadupudi in Kanchili mandal. South Coast Railway cancelled or diverted some trains due to waterlogged tracks at a few locations in Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam districts. Across north coastal Andhra, roads in several places turned into lakes.

Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed for rescue and relief work in affected areas. For farmers, the damage to crops is expected to be a major concern once the waters recede.

Cyclone Arnab Weakens, IMD Tracks Its Path

Cyclone Arnab crossed the coast in the early hours of Wednesday and later weakened into a depression. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), at 0830 hours IST the depression was centred over south Chhattisgarh and adjoining south Odisha, about 40 km north-northwest of Jagdalpur, 180 km southwest of Titlagarh, 150 km west-southwest of Bhawanipatna, 200 km south of Raipur and 310 km southwest of Sambalpur.

The system is very likely to move nearly northwards and weaken further into a well-marked low-pressure area over north Chhattisgarh and adjoining northwest Odisha by the evening of October 29.

The IMD said widespread rainfall was recorded over the past 24 hours across north Andhra Pradesh, northeast Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Gangetic West Bengal. Extremely heavy rainfall of 21 cm or more fell at isolated places over south Odisha and north Andhra Pradesh, while heavy to very heavy rain was reported at isolated places in north Odisha.

Although the cyclone is weakening, the immediate risk for Srikakulam depends on how quickly the swollen rivers recede and on further upstream inflows. Residents in low-lying areas are advised to follow official advisories, and travellers should check road and train status before setting out on routes through north coastal Andhra Pradesh.