Damage caused by Cyclone Arnab put at Rs 4,526 cr

Amaravati: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has urged the central team that visited Andhra Pradesh to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Arnab to expedite its recommendations and ensure that financial assistance is extended to the state at the earliest.

The Chief Minister informed the central team on Monday that, as per the preliminary assessment, the damage caused by Cyclone Arnab in Andhra Pradesh had been put at Rs 4,526 crore. He thanked the team for promptly visiting the affected areas and taking stock of the extent of the damage.

Naidu mentioned that the state government had immediately submitted a preliminary report on the cyclone damage to the Centre. He explained that the government had been able to substantially mitigate loss of life by effectively utilising the Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) and integrating various technologies into disaster management operations. The Chief Minister pointed out that while one part of Andhra Pradesh was facing severe drought-like conditions attributed to El Nino, another region was being affected by cyclones. Even before the state could recover from the losses caused by Cyclone Arnab, another cyclone, Murasu, was approaching the State, he said.

The Chief Minister said agricultural crops, including coconut and banana plantations, had suffered extensive damage due to Arnab. Horticulture and commercial crops, including aquaculture, had also been affected. He explained that farmers in Rayalaseema were being encouraged to shift from conventional agriculture to horticulture to overcome recurring drought conditions, but the cyclone had caused losses to these crops as well.

Power infrastructure, roads and other essential facilities had also suffered damage. Fishing boats belonging to fishermen were severely affected, he added.

Naidu said the state government was monitoring rehabilitation, relief and restoration operations through the RTGS system. Around 7,000 personnel were working on a war-footing to restore electricity supply in the affected areas.

The Chief Minister appealed to the central team to submit its recommendations without delay and facilitate adequate compensation to the state. He said timely financial assistance from the Centre would provide considerable relief to Andhra Pradesh and help accelerate rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.

Previously, the central team visited four of the cyclone-affected districts of Andhra Pradesh to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Arnab. They had toured Konaseema, West Godavari, Kakinada and East Godavari districts to assess the damage, particularly in the severely affected areas, in accordance with the preliminary assessment report submitted by the state government. The team comprised officials from the Union Ministries and departments of Home, Agriculture, Water Resources, National Highways and Finance. During the meeting with the Chief Minister at the RTGS, the central team appreciated the role played by RTGS and the WhatsApp-based Mana Mitra platform in minimising loss of life and property during the cyclone. The team said these best practices would be recommended for adoption by other states as well. The central officials said they had personally inspected the damage caused by Cyclone Arnab in various districts and found that paddy, coconut, and banana crops had suffered extensive losses. They observed that the damage was particularly severe as the cyclone struck when several crops were nearing harvest.

The team acknowledged the state government's efforts in minimising casualties and appreciated the role played by the administration in various districts in restoring normalcy in the cyclone-hit areas.

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Shyam Sundar Matham

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