The Odisha government on Monday, 26 October 2026, issued a stern advisory against the spread of unverified, misleading and speculative information about Cyclone Arnab on social media and digital platforms, urging citizens to rely exclusively on official bulletins from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and advisories from the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) and district administrations. The warning comes as the cyclone threatens the state's coastline and misinformation risks compounding the humanitarian challenge.

What the Advisory Says

The Office of the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), Odisha, flagged a troubling pattern: 'some individuals and self-proclaimed weather experts are disseminating speculative cyclone tracks, landfall locations, timelines and impact assessments without adequate scientific validation or reference to official forecasts issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).'

The SRC cautioned that such unverified content risks triggering public panic, premature harvesting of crops, panic buying, hoarding, artificial shortages and price rises — a cascade of secondary harms that could strain communities even before the cyclone arrives.

Legal Consequences for Spreading False Warnings

The advisory carries a pointed legal warning. The government has invoked Section 54 (false warning) and Section 51 (obstruction of an authorised officer) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, signalling that individuals or entities found deliberately circulating false disaster alerts or obstructing official response operations could face prosecution. Law enforcement and cybercrime authorities have been directed to monitor and act against deliberate misinformation.

Responsibilities for Media and Content Creators

Media organisations have been specifically instructed to attribute all weather forecasts to authoritative sources and avoid presenting speculative predictions as confirmed warnings. Discussions featuring independent weather analysts must not, according to the SRC, 'create confusion regarding official forecasts or emergency instructions.'

Social media users and digital content creators have been cautioned against circulating fabricated cyclone tracks, misleading landfall predictions, exaggerated impact assessments or false disaster alerts. The SRC stressed that 'accurate information, timely warnings and coordinated public response are vital for effective disaster management.'

Official Channels Citizens Should Follow

The SRC coordinates disaster advisories in collaboration with the IMD and other state authorities, managing preparedness, evacuation and emergency response across Odisha. Citizens have been asked to rely solely on official IMD bulletins and SRC advisories, and to refrain from forwarding unverified cyclone tracks or alarming predictions on social media.

As Cyclone Arnab approaches, the state's ability to mount a coordinated evacuation and response will depend, in part, on whether the public information environment remains anchored to verified data — making Monday's advisory as much a preparedness measure as a regulatory one.