Bhubaneswar: Even as Cyclone Arnab remains on course to make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday, the Odisha govt has planned need-based evacuations from vulnerable low-lying areas in its southern districts and imposed restrictions on movement in landslide-prone zones.Special relief commissioner (SRC) Rajesh Prabhakar Patil said 135 permanent cyclone shelters and 1,600 temporary ones have been readied.To support relief operations, the state govt has released a total of Rs 19 crore — Rs 5 crore for Ganjam district and Rs 2 crore each for Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi and Kandhamal districts.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy to extremely heavy rainfall and squally winds across southern Odisha from Tuesday, prompting the administration to intensify preparedness measures.Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, IMD director general, said that while Arnab is likely to make landfall as a very severe cyclonic storm along the AP coast, Odisha districts such as Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri could experience wind speeds of 60-80 kmph, gusting up to 90 kmph, on Wednesday. Some places may also receive extremely heavy rainfall.With the cyclone is expected to move inland through Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand after landfall, SRC Patil on Monday directed all district collectors in the state to maintain the highest level of preparedness. District administrations have been asked to activate contingency plans, secure loose structures, evacuate residents from vulnerable areas and closely monitor landslide-prone locations. “Evacuations will be carried out on Tuesday wherever necessary,” Patil said.Revenue minister Suresh Pujari, who reviewed the preparedness measures, said all districts have been alerted as heavy rainfall in the upper catchments of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand could trigger flash floods and waterlogging in western and northern Odisha, while southern districts would get heavy rainfall.In a preparedness meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee on Monday, chaired by cabinet secretary T V Somanathan, Odisha chief secretary Anu Garg said that Odisha has activated shelters, evacuation plans, control rooms and disaster-response teams.She also said that around 3,000 women, who are in advanced stages of pregnancy, will be shifted to hospitals or safer places.The govt has also ordered the suspension of fishing activities in the Bay of Bengal and halted passenger ferry, boat and commercial shipping operations. Authorities have been instructed to ensure secure anchoring of vessels, trawlers and marine craft at ports and inland waterways. Two trains touching Koraput are among eight cancelled by South Coastal Railway.Apart from the National Disaster Response Force, the govt is coordinating with the armed forces for help, if needed.