Bhubaneswar: An eight-member Inter-Ministerial Central Team on Tuesday began a two-day assessment of damage caused by Cyclone Arnab and subsequent floods in southern Odisha, visiting Gajapati district on the first day, officials said.
The team, led by Ravi Shankar, Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, will assess the impact on agriculture, roads, power, infrastructure and water resources, Chief Secretary Anu Garg said.
The team is scheduled to visit Ganjam district on Wednesday as part of its field assessment.
The Centre deputed the team following a request from the state government for an assessment of the extensive damage caused by floods triggered by Cyclone Arnab, which made landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28.
Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal were among the worst-affected districts in southern Odisha.
Before proceeding to the affected areas, Shankar held preliminary discussions with state government officials on Monday. The eight-member team subsequently travelled to Gajapati in separate groups to inspect the affected areas and evaluate the extent of damage across different sectors.
The team will also review the prevailing ground situation and take stock of ongoing rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures.
The state government has already undertaken a preliminary assessment of the damage.
Besides Shankar, the central team includes representatives from the Union ministries of agriculture, finance, Jal Shakti, power, road transport and highways, and rural development, as well as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
