Andhra: Cyclone Murasu claimed eight lives, caused Rs 1,918 crore loss 

Amaravati, Nov 5 (IANS) Cyclone ‘Murasu’ claimed eight lives and caused an estimated loss of ₹1,918.55 crore to Andhra Pradesh, according to the preliminary damage assessment by officials.

The cyclone, which crossed the coast on Tuesday, resulted in the death of eight persons- five in Bapatla district, two in Guntur district and one in Palnadu district.

The cyclone damaged crops over 1,43,122 hectares, affecting 1,86,063 farmers. Horticultural crops suffered damage across 6,749 hectares, impacting 12,586 farmers. 

A total of 983 houses, 346 boats and 220 fishing nets were also damaged.

Officials informed Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday that it would take 48–72 hours to assess the extent of crop damage accurately after floodwaters recede.

The Chief Minister reviewed the post-Murusu cyclone situation and enquired with officials about damage caused across various departments, including Agriculture, Electricity, Municipal Administration and Panchayat Raj. He also reviewed the relief and restoration measures being undertaken. 

With two consecutive cyclones affecting the state, the Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that farmers and the public do not face any hardships. He stressed the need to prioritise the restoration of electricity supply, repair of roads and uninterrupted drinking water supply.

The Chief Minister announced that he would personally visit cyclone-affected areas on Friday to assess the situation at ground level.

Officials informed him that restoration of the power supply is progressing rapidly. Under the APCPDCL jurisdiction, 871 of the 1,103 affected 11 kV feeders have been restored, while 232 feeders remain to be restored. Of the 3,946 damaged 11 kV electricity poles, 1,493 have been restored.

The Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department reported damage to 760.10 kilometres of major district roads and state highways. All 206 locations where trees had fallen have been cleared.

Under the Panchayat Raj Engineering Department, 74 rural roads were damaged, resulting in losses across 204.14 kilometres. The estimated cost of restoring these roads is ₹92.08 crore.

As of Thursday, 30,518 of the 31,428 telecom towers across the state had resumed operations, restoring 97.1 per cent of telecom services. Restoration work remains pending at a few locations in Bapatla, Prakasam and West Godavari districts.

The Panchayat Raj Department reported that 59 mandals and 649 gram panchayats were affected. All 336 identified drainage blockages have been cleared. Officials are continuously monitoring flood flows and the status of major reservoirs and canals.

At Prakasam Barrage, inflow and outflow are being maintained at 43,500 cusecs, with 60 of the 70 gates kept open. The Budameru Diversion Channel is carrying 6,047 cusecs of water. The inflow into Tammileru has declined from 26,000 cusecs to 10,200 cusecs.

A total of 11 SDRF teams, 13 NDRF teams and 390 fire personnel participated in cyclone relief and rescue operations. Around 5.87 crore warning messages were sent to the public to ensure timely alerts and preparedness.

The state government released ₹37 crore to the districts for immediate relief and assistance. Restoration of damaged electricity infrastructure, roads, drinking water systems and other essential infrastructure is progressing at a rapid pace to ensure that normalcy is restored in the affected areas at the earliest.

--IANS

ms/dan