An eight-member central team on Tuesday began a two-day visit to southern Odisha to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Arnab and the floods that followed last week, according to news agency PTI. The team visited Gajapati district on Tuesday and will go to Ganjam district on Wednesday.
Key points
- The Inter-Ministerial Central Team is led by Ravi Shankar, Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
- It will study damage to agriculture, infrastructure, roads, power and water resources.
- The state reported extensive damage in Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts.
- The team will also review rescue, relief and rehabilitation work.
What the team will examine
As per the report, the team will carry out a detailed assessment on the ground across different sectors. Besides agriculture, roads and power, it will look at water resources and check how rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations are progressing.
Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg said the team is led by Ravi Shankar. Apart from him, it includes representatives from the ministries of agriculture, finance, Jal Shakti, power, road transport and highways, and rural development. A representative of the Indian Space Research Organisation is also part of the team. Officials from several Union ministries and departments are taking part in the exercise.
Background of the visit
The Centre sent the team after the Odisha government asked for an assessment of the damage caused by floods triggered by the cyclone. Cyclone Arnab made landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28. Its effects were later felt in southern Odisha, where the state government reported extensive damage in Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts.
Ravi Shankar held preliminary discussions with state government officials on Monday. After that, the team left for Gajapati in separate groups. The Odisha government has already carried out its own preliminary assessment of the damage.
Why it matters and what next
The findings of the central team will guide relief and rehabilitation work and decisions on possible central assistance, India Today reported. For people in the affected districts, the assessment is an important step in deciding what support may be provided for repair and recovery.
The team will complete its two-day assessment in Gajapati and Ganjam. It will cover the damage caused by the cyclone and the floods that followed, as well as the progress of relief and rehabilitation work.
