Cyclone Arnab Causes Massive Damage in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh as Relief and Repair Work Progresses

UPDATE - follow-up to Cyclone Arnab LIVE: Cyclone wreaks havoc in Odisha, over 55,000 evacuated across 9 districts: Andhra Pradesh has suffered an estimated loss of ₹4,600 crore due to Cyclone Arnab, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said after making an aerial survey of the Krishna and Godavari regions. Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar stated that the cyclone caused around ₹500 crore in damage to the power sector, with repair work prioritized in areas like Palakollu, Bhimavaram, and Narsapur. Around 1,700 personnel, along with 500 employees mobilised from three DISCOMs and another 500 from Telangana, are engaged in restoration. Train services on the Howrah-Chennai route were disrupted after the Bahuda river crossed the danger mark at two railway bridges in Odisha's Ganjam district, leading to the cancellation of 36 trains, the diversion of 30, and the regulation or rescheduling of eight others.

Relief Efforts

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expressed distress over the loss of lives in Andhra Pradesh and major disruptions in Odisha, urging the Centre to lead coordinated relief and rehabilitation through the PMCARES fund while asking party workers to help those in distress. Chief Minister Naidu directed officials to expedite power supply restoration, road repairs, and telecom network services, noting that electricity supply has been restored in 4,771 out of 5,400 affected villages under APEPCDCL, with 629 villages still pending. Officials informed the Chief Minister that rainfall between October 26 and 29 brought around 380 TMC of water into the state, while groundwater levels rose by about 44 TMC. Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard successfully rescued all 20 crew members of the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier vessel Sigma Pearl, airlifting them off the coast near Antaravedi in Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district. Heavy rain also hit Odisha's Ganjam, Gajapati, and Kandhamal districts, washing away a stretch of National Highway 326 connecting Berhampur with Mohana, causing landslides, and halting road traffic.

Context

Severe cyclonic storms in the Bay of Bengal frequently trigger heavy rainfall, strong winds, and widespread infrastructure damage across coastal eastern states like Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. Large-scale rescue and inter-state utility assistance are standard emergency responses deployed to restore power, clear blocked transport routes, and aid affected populations following such natural disasters.