Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday urged the Centre to provide financial assistance to Andhra Pradesh at the earliest to help it recover from the damage caused by cyclone Arnab, estimated at `4,526 crore.
Naidu made the appeal during a meeting with the central assessment team here. The team, comprising officials from the ministries of home, agriculture, water resources, NH and finance, visited four cyclone-hit districts to assess the damage.
The chief minister thanked the Centre for deputing the team soon after the state submitted its preliminary damage assessment report. He urged the officials to submit their recommendations soon, saying early release of central funds would provide relief to the state.
Members of the Central team briefed Naidu on their field visits to Konaseema, West Godavari, Kakinada and East Godavari districts. During the inspections, they noticed extensive losses to paddy, coconut and banana crops.
Farmers, the team noted, suffered particularly heavy losses as the cyclone struck when several crops were nearing the harvest stage.
Naidu said the damage extended beyond agriculture — with horticulture, aquaculture and other commercial crops also suffering extensive losses. Several fishing boats were damaged as well.
He said AP was facing multiple weather-related challenges, with one region experiencing severe drought due to El Nino while another was bearing the brunt of cyclones.
The Chief Minister pointed out that the state suffered damage from successive cyclones, including Hudhud, Titli and Montha. Even before it could recover from the impact of cyclone Arnab, another storm, Murasu, was approaching the state, he said.
Naidu said the government was encouraging farmers to shift towards horticultural crops to cope with the drought conditions while using technology to minimise cyclone damage.
He explained how the integration of the RTGS centre with various technology platforms has helped the government reduce loss of life during natural disasters.
The Central team appreciated the role of RTGS and WhatsApp Mana Mitra in minimising casualties and property damage. The members said the state’s disaster management practices would be recommended for adoption by other states.
Naidu said the cyclone has damaged critical infrastructure, particularly electricity networks and roads. Around 7,000 personnel had been deployed to restore power supply.
The Central team appreciated the state government’s response, relief operations and restoration efforts. It particularly noted the restoration of electricity supply and road connectivity, saying repair works were progressing in remote areas as well.
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