Around 300 villages in Odisha’s Ganjam district have been marooned by heavy rain and flash floods triggered by Cyclone Arnab, prompting the state government to coordinate with the Union Home Ministry to airlift stranded residents, reported the PTI.

Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg said on Thursday that teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) had begun rescue operations in the affected areas. However, air evacuations could be delayed due to low cloud levels and continued rainfall.