BHUBANESWAR: A seven-member central team on Thursday began its field visit to assess the extent of damage caused by Cyclone Amphan in the coastal districts of Odisha.
The team, divided into two groups, will be visiting Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts.
One group is scheduled to visit Bhadrak district and the other one will be going to Jagatsinghpur on Friday, an official said.
The central team, led by Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs Shri Prakash, will hold a meeting with senior state government officials after returning to Bhubaneswar, he said.
The team will then submit its report to the Centre on the damages caused by the cyclone, an official said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi conducted an aerial survey of some of the cyclone-affected areas on May 22 and the state government has been given Rs 500 crore by the Centre as advance assistance for restoration works.
Over 44 lakh people in four districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur have been affected due to the heavy downpour and high-velocity winds triggered by Cyclone Amphan, as per the preliminary damage assessment report prepared by the state government.
The team has representatives from the Union Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Jal Shakti and Ministry of Power, among others.