Central team assesses Cyclone Arnab and flood damage in Odisha
An eight-member inter-ministerial delegation is conducting a two-day ground assessment of destruction in southern Odisha.
An eight-member central inter-ministerial team began a two-day assessment of damage caused by Cyclone Arnab and subsequent flooding in southern Odisha on Tuesday, according to reports from Pragativadi, The Federal and Odisha Bytes. The delegation is evaluating losses in sectors including agriculture, infrastructure, roads, power, and water resources.
The team, led by Union Ministry of Home Affairs Joint Secretary Ravi Shankar, visited Gajapati district on Tuesday and is scheduled to visit Ganjam district on Wednesday. The cyclone hit the Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28, leading to heavy rainfall and floods that affected Ganjam, Gajapati, and Kandhamal districts.
During a preliminary review meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan, Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg briefed the delegation on the state's disaster management history. The central team included representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the Ministry of Rural Development, the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the Central Electricity Authority, and the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of ISRO.
Field observations noted damage to crops, roads, power infrastructure, river embankments, canals, fish ponds, and livestock. Gajapati Collector Akshya Sunil Agrawal stated that a detailed briefing on various types of damage was presented at the collector's office.
The central team recommended a house-to-house survey to account for every impacted family and assured the state of assistance for relief, reconstruction, and strengthening river embankments. District collectors noted that a complete damage assessment will require more time due to the scale of the destruction.