Central team hails Andhra Pradesh’s Mana Mitra as model for Cyclone Arnab response

The Mana Mitra WhatsApp Governance initiative is impressive and could serve as a model for other States, members of the Central team assessing the damage caused by Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) Arnab have said.

According to an official release, the seven-member Central team, led by Chitranjan Dash, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, visited the Secretariat on Saturday (October 31).

During the visit, Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) Secretary Katamneni Bhaskar and CEO Prakhar Jain briefed the team on the damage caused by the cyclone through a PowerPoint presentation.

The officials said that people had been alerted about the cyclone six days in advance. Continuous warnings were issued through the RTGS and the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA). These timely alerts helped minimise the loss of lives, they said.

As many as 34,716 people were evacuated to 2,199 cyclone shelters set up across 20 districts, the officials said. During the cyclone, Mana Mitra WhatsApp Governance provided a platform for people to report their problems and seek emergency assistance. The grievances received were addressed as they came in, they added.

The Central team members appreciated the Mana Mitra initiative and said they would recommend to the Union government that similar facilities be established in other States.

Mr. Chitranjan Dash said the team would make efforts to ensure that the State received adequate assistance from the Centre.