Central team hails Andhra Pradesh Mana Mitra initiative as cyclone model
A seven-member Central team praised the WhatsApp governance system used during Cyclone Arnab response and may recommend it to other states.
A seven-member Central Government assessment team visited the Secretariat on Saturday to evaluate damage from Cyclone Arnab, according to The Hindu. The team, led by Ministry of Home Affairs Joint Secretary Chitranjan Dash, praised the Mana Mitra WhatsApp Governance initiative as an impressive model for other states.
Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) Secretary Katamneni Bhaskar and CEO Prakhar Jain briefed the team on the cyclone's impact. Officials stated that the public received alerts six days in advance through the RTGS and the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA).
During the storm, 34,716 people were moved to 2,199 cyclone shelters across 20 districts. The Mana Mitra platform allowed citizens to report problems and seek emergency help, with officials addressing more than 95 per cent of cyclone-related complaints.
The preliminary assessment estimates the damage in the state at Rs 4,764 crore. The cyclone damaged crops for 4.63 lakh farmers across 3.52 lakh hectares and affected 7,382 houses.
Three people were killed and 31 houses were damaged as the storm made landfall on Wednesday, according to a National Disaster Response Force officer quoted by Scroll. The storm's landfall lasted six hours, occurring between 2 am and 8 am as it moved across the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Yanam in Puducherry.