States » EastPosted at: Nov 5 2026 2:58PM


Cyclone Arnab: Central team urges Odisha to conduct door-to-door survey to assess damage

Bhubaneswar, Nov 5 (UNI) An eight-member Inter-Ministerial Central Team has urged the Odisha government to conduct a comprehensive door-to-door survey to accurately assess the damage caused by Cyclone Arnab and subsequent floods across the state.
The team has also indicated that the Centre would consider financial assistance for rebuilding damaged infrastructure, strengthening river embankments and restoring essential public facilities.
The recommendation was made during a high-level review meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, chaired by Chief Secretary Anu Garg. The meeting followed the Central Team's field visits to some of the worst-affected areas of Gajapati and Ganjam districts.
Led by Ravi Shankar, joint Secretary in the union Ministry of Home Affairs, the eight-member team assessed extensive damage to agricultural crops, roads, electricity networks, river embankments, irrigation canals, drinking water facilities and other critical public infrastructure.
During the meeting, the Odisha government submitted a preliminary damage assessment report and sought central assistance for reconstruction, restoration and the development of disaster-resilient infrastructure.
The Central Team emphasised that a detailed house-to-house survey was essential to identify affected families, document individual losses and ensure that the actual extent of the devastation was accurately assessed.
District Collectors informed the team that the widespread nature of the destruction meant that a few more days would be required to complete a comprehensive assessment of losses.
The team visited cyclone- and flood-hit areas of Gajapati district on November 3 and Ganjam district on November 4. During the visits, its members interacted with district officials and reviewed the ground situation, with particular focus on agricultural losses and damage to essential infrastructure.
The delegation comprised officials and experts from various union ministries and departments, including Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Finance, Jal Shakti, Power, Rural Development, and Road Transport and Highways. Representatives from the Central Water Commission, Central Electricity Authority and ISRO's National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) were also part of the team.
The meeting also highlighted the urgent need to repair, raise and strengthen river embankments and irrigation canals in vulnerable areas to minimise the risk of recurring floods.
Several critical infrastructure facilities, including drinking water systems, national highways, roads maintained by the Works Department, Rural Development Department and Panchayati Raj Department, as well as bridges, have sustained damage.
Based on information received from various departments, the office of the Special Relief Commissioner prepared a preliminary damage assessment report and submitted it to the Central Team for consideration.
Addressing the meeting, Chief Secretary Anu Garg highlighted Odisha's recurring vulnerability to natural disasters, recalling the devastating Super Cyclone of 1999 and the series of cyclones and floods that have battered the state over the years.
She pointed out that Odisha faces multiple natural disasters almost every year, making preparedness, effective response mechanisms and disaster management key priorities for the state government.
The state has consistently focused on advance preparedness, rapid deployment of response teams, rescue operations and timely relief measures to minimise casualties and reduce the impact of natural calamities, she said.
Garg further emphasised that the government was undertaking sustained efforts to strengthen disaster-resilient infrastructure and institutional capacities to better withstand future disasters.
UNI DP
Tags: #Cyclone Arnab: Central team urges Odisha to conduct door-to-door survey to assess damage
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