Bhubaneswar: An eight-member central team on Wednesday visited several cyclone- and flood-affected areas in Odisha’s Ganjam district to assess damage to crops and infrastructure caused by Cyclone Arnab and the subsequent floods, officials said.
The team, led by Ravi Shankar, Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), began its assessment in Achili village, a day after visiting neighbouring Gajapati district.
During the visit, members of the Inter-Ministerial Central Team inspected agricultural fields and assessed damage to standing paddy crops nearing harvest. They also interacted with affected farmers in the village, a senior district official accompanying the team said.
The team visited several lift irrigation points and inspected breaches in the embankments of the Rushikulya river, whose floodwaters inundated several acres of agricultural land.
It also assessed damage to electricity infrastructure, including snapped power lines, uprooted trees and damaged mobile tower installations, the official said.
The team further inspected damaged bridges and roads washed away by floodwaters at several locations across the district.
Before beginning the field visit, the team met district administration officials to review the damage assessment.
Ganjam Collector Keerthi Vasan V presented a detailed report, along with photographs and videos, documenting the extent of the damage, officials said.
On Tuesday, the team visited several flood-affected locations in Gajapati district, including sites where bridges had been washed away at Makapada in R Udayagiri block and Gundriguda in Mohana block.
It also inspected the damaged Khariguda culvert and a stretch of the National Highway near Ledabandha.
The Centre deputed the team following a request from the Odisha government to assess the damage caused by floods triggered by Cyclone Arnab, which made landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28.
The state government had reported extensive damage in Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts in southern Odisha.
Besides Shankar, the team comprises officials representing the ministries of agriculture, finance, Jal Shakti, power, road transport and highways, and rural development, along with a representative from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Chief Secretary Anu Garg said the team would meet senior state government officials after completing its field visits to discuss the damage assessment and share its observations.
ବାତ୍ୟା ‘ଅର୍ଣ୍ଣବ’ ଜନିତ କ୍ଷୟକ୍ଷତିର ସ୍ଥଳୀୟ ଆକଳନ ପାଇଁ ୮ ଜଣିଆ କେନ୍ଦ୍ରୀୟ ଆନ୍ତଃମନ୍ତ୍ରାଳୟ ଟିମ୍ ଗଞ୍ଜାମ ଜିଲ୍ଲା ଗସ୍ତ କରି ପୁରୁଷୋତ୍ତମପୁର ବ୍ଲକ୍ର ଆଚୁଲି, ହାଣ୍ଡିଘର ଓ ହୀରାଧରବାଟି ଜଳସେଚନ ପ୍ରକଳ୍ପ ସମେତ ବିଭିନ୍ନ କ୍ଷତିଗ୍ରସ୍ତ ଅଞ୍ଚଳ ଓ ଭିତ୍ତିଭୂମିର ସ୍ଥିତି ଅନୁଧ୍ୟାନ କରିଛନ୍ତି। https://t.co/ybfHnlasOs
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