Central team to assess Cyclone Arnab damage in AP

Amaravati: A seven-member central team arrived in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Arnab. The team, led by Chittaranjan Das, joint secretary in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, was received at the State Secretariat by chief secretary Sai Prasad and other officials.

The team comprises representatives from the departments of agriculture, finance, power, water resources, rural development, and road transport and highways, besides an ISRO representative. It is scheduled to tour cyclone-affected areas to assess the damage.

The team visited the Real-Time Governance Society (RTGS) centre at the Secretariat, where RTGS secretary Katamaneni Bhaskar and CEO Prakhar Jain presented details of the cyclone's impact through a PowerPoint presentation.

The members sought information about the disaster management measures adopted by RTGS, particularly the Mana Mitra system used to receive and address public grievances in real time.

The central team appreciated Mana Mitra as a good initiative and said it would recommend that other states adopt a similar system. RTGS officials explained that continuous warnings to the public and efforts to keep people indoors during the cyclone helped prevent significant loss of life.

State officials informed the team that preliminary estimates put the damage at Rs 4,764 crore, with around 12 districts affected. Konaseema and West Godavari were among the worst-affected districts. The team expressed satisfaction with the presentation and assured officials that it would facilitate central assistance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

K Varaprasada Rao

K Varaprasada Rao[email protected]

K Varaprasada Rao is a Senior Reporter with The Hans India, covering the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat, Chief Minister's Office (CMO), State Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council and political affairs. With over 20 years of experience in journalism in Andhra Pradesh, he has extensively reported on governance, public policy, politics, and socio-economic issues that shape the state's development and influence the country's evolving landscape. He holds a postgraduate degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. His reporting focuses on finance, industries, irrigation, agriculture, infrastructure, investment, public administration, and political developments, with a particular interest in analysing their long-term economic and social impact.

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