In Odisha, the recovery from Cyclone Arnab is turning a corner district by district, as rainfall eases, floodwaters recede and telecom crews reach damaged sites that were cut off during the storm. The improvement is gradual rather than complete, but officials say service disruptions are falling in the three districts hit hardest, and that the direction of travel is now clear.
The telecom situation in Ganjam, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts is gradually improving as rainfall eases and floodwaters recede, according to the Department of Telecommunications. Telecom service providers have begun restoring damaged sites, leading to progressive improvements in network connectivity and a reduction in service disruptions, the department said in a release on Friday. Operators are continuing restoration work on a priority basis to bring the remaining affected sites back online.
The pattern in Odisha contrasts with Andhra Pradesh, where overall network availability has already reached 99.18 percent. In Odisha, the storm’s impact was compounded by flooding that kept crews from sites, and by power outages and localised fibre cuts that remain the main hurdles across both states. Emergency arrangements, including intra circle roaming across affected districts and 11 cell on wheels units, are being maintained so that citizens can stay connected while permanent repairs continue.
Why the last sites are the hardest
The final stage of telecom restoration is often the slowest, because the sites left offline tend to be the ones with combined damage: a tower without commercial power, a fibre route cut in two places, and an access road still under water. Fixing one problem does not restore service until the others are fixed too, which is why district level figures improve in steps rather than in a single jump. For residents, the practical effect is uneven coverage, with some villages back to normal while neighbouring areas still rely on emergency roaming.
Power restoration is running alongside telecom work, and the two efforts depend on each other. Towers need commercial power or generators to stay online, and repair crews need working phones to coordinate. State officials have stressed alternative power arrangements for towers, including diesel generators, as a bridge until the grid is fully restored.
Relief continues alongside repairs
Relief and restoration operations continue across the cyclone hit regions, with drinking water, road connectivity and electricity supply being restored on a priority basis. A central team has arrived in Andhra Pradesh to assess damage, and Andhra Pradesh has announced an ex gratia payment of 5 lakh rupees to families of people who died in cyclone related incidents. In Odisha, the immediate priority is simpler: keep the gradual improvement going until every affected site is back, and every district’s network is stable again.
