Cyclone Arnab, which developed over the Bay of Bengal, has brought three days of heavy rain to Chhattisgarh, crippling transport and daily life in divisions such as Raipur, Bilaspur, Bastar, Durg and Surguja. Numerous roads are flooded, traffic has stopped on several routes and many areas have lost connectivity.
In response, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has declared a statewide holiday for all government, private and aided schools for Saturday, citing the risk of waterlogging and rising river levels. He urged parents to keep children at home and warned against unnecessary travel.
The Mahanadi River has swelled from continuous rainfall and releases from the Gangrel Dam, with all 14 gates opened after the reservoir exceeded 98% capacity. About 50,000 cusecs of water were released into the river, while the Murumsilli, Dudhawa and Sondhur dams approached full capacity. Floodwaters have overtopped the Hatkul River near Dhamtari, isolated villages, and inundated main roads, leaving inter‑district connectivity severed. Villages along the riverbanks—including those in Mahasamund, Bastar, Sukma, Kanker, Bijapur, Jagdalpur, Narayanpur and Dantewada—face imminent flood danger.
Rescue teams were dispatched after two security guards were trapped in a government liquor shop surrounded by floodwater in Bamhani village; a video confirmed they were safe. District collectors and departments have been instructed to implement the school‑holiday order and remain on high alert for relief operations, while authorities continue to monitor the situation as the cyclone weakens.
