Central teams assess Cyclone Arnab damage on Andhra Pradesh coast
Inter-Ministerial teams documented devastation to fishing assets, roads, and crops across Kakinada and West Godavari districts.
An Inter-Ministerial Central team led by Home Ministry Joint Secretary Chittaranjan Das visited the Kakinada coast on Sunday to document damage caused by Cyclone Arnab, according to The Hindu. The team observed losses to fishing boats, nets, and road infrastructure, including the Uppada-Kakinada beach road which was reportedly washed away by waves.
On the Uppada coast, the team found that 579 boats at the Uppada-Ameenabad fishing harbour and 1,000 fishing nets were damaged. In Kakinada district, paddy and horticulture crops covering 55,000 hectares were damaged, affecting 86,000 farmers. Joint Collector Apoorva Bharat stated that a compensation of Rs 35,000 per acre would be provided for banana crops.
In West Godavari district, a separate team led by Central Water Commission's Kollu Rekharani inspected damage to aquaponds, crops, and public buildings. Accompanied by District Collector Chadalavada Nagarani, the team visited the Biyyaputippa fish landing centre and Palakollu mandal.
The cyclone, which crossed the coast as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm before weakening, caused significant infrastructure damage. Reports indicated that 214-km-long power lines were snapped and 1,588 poles connected to 222 transformers were damaged. More than 11,000 people were directly affected by the cyclone in Kakinada district.