Power sector suffers ₹500-crore damage due to Cyclone Arnab, says Minister

Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar on Thursday said that Cyclone Arnab caused an estimated ₹500 crore damage to the power sector and that the government has intensified emergency repairs to the damaged infrastructure, with special focus on Palakollu, Bhimavaram and Narsapur, which bore the brunt of the extreme weather event. Inspecting the cyclone-hit areas in Bhimavaram on Thursday, Mr. Ravi Kumar said a comprehensive assessment would provide a clearer picture of the true extent of the damages, and that around 1,700 personnel were engaged in the restoration works, with an additional 500 employees being mobilised from the three DISCOMs. Another 500 electricity employees from Telangana joined the operations. The Minister said the government was ensuring that there was no shortage of manpower, funds or equipment for the restoration efforts and that officials were directed to replace damaged electricity poles, repair snapped conductors, and restore damaged transformers on a priority basis. Published - October 29, 2026 08:30 pm IST