Andhra Pradesh has submitted a preliminary report to the Centre estimating that very severe cyclonic storm Arnab caused damage worth Rs 4,600 crore in the state, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said on Friday, according to news agency Press Trust of India.Naidu assured compensation and relief for affected families, farmers and fishermen. He said seven people were killed in the cyclone despite precautionary measures and announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh for each bereaved family.Speaking to reporters after visiting a cyclone shelter at Matrevu in West Godavari district, Naidu said the government was working to restore essential services and assist people who had suffered losses."The preliminary assessment puts the damage caused by very severe cyclonic storm Arnab at Rs 4,600 crore.
We have submitted the report to the Centre and will ensure compensation and relief reach all affected families, farmers and fishermen," Naidu said, according to PTI. He said the government had coordinated preparations across departments before the cyclone.
Officials were kept on alert through repeated teleconferences and overnight reviews. The administration also monitored the possibility of heavy inflows into reservoirs and tanks to prepare for potential flooding.Power infrastructure suffered extensive damage, with more than 15,000 electricity poles uprooted across the affected areas.
Around 12,500 trees fell in West Godavari alone, while coconut plantations and paddy fields were also damaged, Naidu said. The government aims to restore power supply fully by Saturday evening.
Household connections are being prioritised, followed by agricultural connections. Additional electricity personnel from Telangana are being brought in to speed up restoration work.Mobile connectivity was also affected after private telecom towers lost their power supply.
The government was taking steps to restore communication services and clear fallen trees to reopen roads and remove obstructions.Naidu said losses to agricultural and horticultural crops would be assessed. Farmers who had insured their crops would be able to claim compensation for losses in yield, and he urged other farmers to take up crop insurance.The government would also support fishermen affected by the cyclone, he said, adding that relief and rehabilitation work had begun.Rice and other essential commodities were being distributed to affected families.
Naidu said a detailed assessment would follow the preliminary report submitted to the Centre to ensure that everyone who had suffered losses received assistance.He acknowledged the role of state and Central government personnel in the relief operations, saying coordination among agencies and public participation had helped tackle the cyclone's impact.He said the government continued to prioritise cyclone-hit communities despite the local body election process and ensured that affected people received essential assistance.Separately, Naidu said Rs 7,000 had been credited to farmers' accounts on Friday as the second instalment of the second year under the PM-Kisan Annadata Sukhibhava scheme.The government had promised annual assistance of Rs 20,000 in three instalments, he said. He also referred to the modernisation of the Godavari delta as a measure to prevent inundation in the region.After speaking to reporters, Naidu distributed relief kits containing rice, red gram, cooking oil, potatoes and other essential supplies to people staying at the cyclone shelter.The state government will now carry out a detailed damage assessment while continuing relief, compensation and restoration work in cyclone-affected areas.- Ends