NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, on Thursday said he had spoken with the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, Odisha and Chhattisgarh in the wake of Cyclone Arnab and assured them of all possible assistance to mitigate the hardships faced by people affected by the disaster.
In a post on social media platform X, HM Shah said the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Forces (SDRFs) had launched rescue and relief operations.
"In the wake of Cyclone Arnab, spoke with the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, Odisha and Chhattisgarh and assured them of every assistance to mitigate the hardship of the people in the face of the disaster. NDRF and SDRF teams have sprung into action and are continuing rescue and relief operations on a war footing. IMCTs will soon be sent to assess the impact and further assistance required. The Government of India stands with the people with resolute commitment," HM Shah said.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its latest weather bulletin on Thursday, said Cyclonic Storm Arnab had weakened into a deep depression and was likely to further weaken into a depression by Thursday morning, followed by a well-marked low-pressure area in the evening.
At least 17 districts in southern Odisha have been affected by heavy rainfall triggered by the cyclone, which crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday.
In Andhra Pradesh, five people lost their lives, prompting Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to announce a relief and compensation package for affected families, farmers, fishermen and businesses.
In other parts of the country, rainfall activity is likely to ease considerably across Kerala, with daytime temperatures expected to rise. In Telangana, isolated places in 12 districts are likely to experience thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds on Thursday.
Rainfall is also expected to intensify in parts of Jharkhand and continue until Friday. Gudabanda in East Singhbhum district recorded the highest rainfall, at 71.4 mm, since Wednesday evening, followed by Manjhari in West Singhbhum district, which received 64 mm.
Meanwhile, Cyclone Arnab brought back grim memories of Cyclone Hudhud, which battered the region 12 years ago. Although Arnab was less severe and did not make landfall in the city, strong winds continued throughout the night.
Extensive damage to the city's green cover, uprooted electric poles, prolonged power outages and disrupted mobile network connectivity reminded residents of the destruction caused by Hudhud in October 2014.