Central Team to Assess Cyclone Arnab Damage in Odisha; Ganjam, Gajapati on Priority

Bhubaneswar, Nov 3 (UDN): An eight-member Central Government team, led by Ravi Shankar, has arrived in Bhubaneswar to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Arnab in Odisha. The team will hold discussions with the State Government’s disaster management officials before splitting into two groups for field visits to the worst-affected districts of Ganjam and Gajapati.

The arrival of the central team marks the next phase of the post-cyclone damage assessment, with particular attention being given to the extent of destruction and the losses suffered by affected communities.

Following its meeting with state officials, the two groups will visit the affected areas in Ganjam and Gajapati. The respective district collectors will coordinate the visits and facilitate the assessment process.

Independent Assessment of Damage

The State Government has already completed a preliminary assessment of the cyclone-related damage. The central team will now undertake an independent evaluation and prepare a separate report based on its field observations.

Additional Relief Commissioner Padmanav Behera confirmed that all eight members had arrived from Delhi for the assessment exercise.

He said the central team would examine the ground situation independently, even as the state authorities had already conducted their preliminary survey.

Ganjam and Gajapati have been identified as the two worst-affected districts, prompting the central team to prioritise visits to these areas.

Findings to Help Determine Extent of Losses

The central assessment is expected to provide a clearer picture of the damage caused by Cyclone Arnab. Its findings will be examined alongside the preliminary report prepared by the State Government.

Officials said further details would emerge after the field inspections. A briefing by the Chief Secretary is scheduled for the following day, when additional information regarding the assessment exercise is expected to be shared.

The final findings of the central team will be important in establishing the extent of cyclone-related losses and determining the assistance required for affected areas.

For now, the focus remains on ground-level verification of the damage in Ganjam and Gajapati, where the impact of Cyclone Arnab has been reported to be particularly severe.