Cyclone Arnab continued to bring heavy rain and gusty winds to Chhattisgarh on Thursday, damaging standing and harvested paddy, disrupting electricity supply and prompting authorities to close schools in 14 districts. The weather system has affected daily life across the state while central and state agencies coordinate relief and damage assessment.
Union home minister Amit Shah spoke to Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai and assured him of all possible assistance from the Centre, according to a report by the Times of India. Shah also spoke to the chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Puducherry, which have been affected by the same weather system, and assured support for relief and rescue operations.
Shah said National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force teams were working on a war footing. Inter-ministerial central teams are expected to visit the affected states to assess the damage and determine the additional assistance required.
Sai thanked Shah for the assurance and said public safety remained the state government’s highest priority. State agencies have been coordinating relief and rescue operations as persistent rain and strong winds disrupted normal activity in several areas.
Schools were closed in 14 districts on Thursday as rain continued in Raipur, Gariaband, Ambikapur and other parts of Chhattisgarh. Strong winds also disrupted electricity supply, adding pressure to essential services and affecting residents in areas experiencing prolonged showers.
Farmers have faced significant losses. Harvested paddy was soaked in Balrampur, while winds flattened standing crops in Raigarh and parts of Raipur district. Waterlogging in agricultural fields has raised concerns about further crop damage and fungal infestation, particularly where harvested grain has been exposed to continuing rain.
PCC chief Deepak Baij called for an immediate survey of crop losses and compensation for affected farmers. He said many farmers were already dealing with damage caused by earlier floods. Any assessment will need to account for both harvested produce and standing crops affected by wind and waterlogging.
The India Meteorological Department has warned of heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places in north Chhattisgarh, along with thunderstorms, lightning and winds reaching 40–50 kmph. The IMD has said rainfall is likely to continue for the next two days, even as the cyclonic system gradually weakens.
The next operational steps are the continuation of relief and rescue work by NDRF and SDRF teams, followed by visits from inter-ministerial central teams to assess damage and determine the further assistance required.
