Central Team to Assess Cyclone Arnab Damage in Odisha

The team, headed by Ravi Shankar, Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, will visit the cyclone-hit districts of Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal to assess damage to infrastructure and other sectors. Its report will be considered alongside the State Government’s preliminary damage assessment before the Centre takes a decision on the assistance package.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the State Government had already taken up the matter with the Centre and that he had discussed the cyclone-related damage with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

“The State Government will submit its preliminary damage report to the Centre. The Central team will assess the ground situation and examine our report. Based on its findings and the final assessment, central assistance will be provided,” Majhi said.

He indicated that the amount of assistance would be decided after the assessment process was completed. Meanwhile, the State Government could fall back on the supplementary budget to meet immediate expenses, if necessary.

The team comprises officials from the Ministries of Home Affairs, Finance, Rural Development, Power, and Road Transport and Highways, along with representatives from the Central Water Commission, the Directorate of Rice Development and the National Remote Sensing Centre of ISRO. The multi-sectoral composition is intended to facilitate a comprehensive assessment of damage across various sectors.

While the damage assessment following Cyclone Arnab is under way, the State Government has also stepped up its preparedness to deal with the possible impact of another weather system, Cyclone Murasu.

Majhi visited the office of the Special Relief Commissioner on Saturday to review preparedness and response arrangements. He directed the administration to ensure that relief and restoration work in the cyclone-affected areas continued without disruption.

Officials and rescue personnel already deployed in the affected districts will remain on the ground, while 50 additional officers have been assigned to strengthen the administrative response.

The Chief Minister said the immediate priority was to ensure timely assistance to affected families, restore damaged infrastructure and bring normalcy back to the cyclone-hit areas. The Government is also closely monitoring the developing weather situation to ensure that ongoing relief operations are not disrupted by any fresh threat.