Odisha Welcomes Storm Babies

BHAWANI PATNA — Amid the howling winds and torrential downpours brought by Cyclone Arnab, more than 900 babies were safely delivered across Odisha, state officials reported this week.

Reviewing the post-landfall situation, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi stated that the state administration successfully shifted 2,245 pregnant women to various healthcare institutions ahead of the severe cyclonic storm, which heavily impacted southern Odisha.

"In all the cases, both mothers and babies are doing well," Majhi said, emphasizing that prioritizing the evacuation of expectant mothers was a cornerstone of the state's disaster preparedness strategy.

Unique Monikers Inspired by Nature

In a heartwarming trend reflecting the dramatic circumstances of their birth, several parents chose names inspired by the weather event. Newborn boys were frequently named Arnab and Toofan, while baby girls received names such as Barsha, Barsarani, and Batasi.

At the Community Health Centre in Patrapur, 30-year-old Sukanti Pradhan gave birth to her first child, a healthy baby boy, during the peak of the adverse weather. With the assistance of local medical officers who issued the birth certificate on site, the proud parents named him Arnab.

"We decided to name him Arnab," said Chakradhar Sabar, the child's father. "My wife was shifted to the hospital in advance for delivery because of the cyclonic storm." Both mother and baby were subsequently discharged in stable condition.

Similarly, at the same health facility, 22-year-old Rukmuni Behera welcomed a baby girl as heavy rain lashed the region following the landfall. Medical staff suggested the name Barsha, meaning rain, which the family happily adopted.

Comprehensive District-Level Preparedness

In Ganjam district alone, local authorities preemptively relocated 493 pregnant women to nearby hospitals starting October 25. Dr. S Kameswar Rao, Chief District Medical and Public Health Officer, confirmed that 220 deliveries were recorded in the district by early afternoon.

"The newborns included 101 boys and 119 girls," Dr. Rao noted. "The mothers and babies were in good condition, with some already discharged from hospitals."

Cyclone Arnab, which crossed the neighboring Andhra Pradesh coast, brought copious rainfall across multiple districts in Odisha. The storm's name, meaning ocean or vast water, was designated by Bangladesh under the naming conventions established by the World Meteorological Organisation and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific panel on tropical cyclones.