Chandrababu Naidu urges Centre to assess crop, road and power infrastructure damage

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to depute a Central team at the earliest to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Arnab in the state.

The Chief Minister sent a letter hours after a severe cyclonic storm crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast.

Naidu highlighted damage to crops, houses, roads and electricity poles caused by the cyclone and urged the Centre to dispatch an assessment team at the earliest to evaluate the damage.

He wrote that 16 NDRF and 11 SDRF teams had been deployed across 14 districts for cyclone relief and rescue operations. More than 28,000 people had been shifted to rehabilitation centres in cyclone-affected areas.

The letter stated that the state machinery had been on the ground throughout the night. No loss of life had been reported so far, which the government attributed to its advance preparedness measures.

“Our preliminary assessment, which is still being verified, shows that the damage has been kept to the minimum possible. I am relieved to inform that no loss of human life has been reported so far,” the letter read.

Naidu stated that Konaseema, Kakinada, East Godavari, West Godavari, Anakapalli and Krishna districts had been severely affected by the cyclone. Control rooms and the State Emergency Operations Centre had been functioning round the clock to manage the emergency.

Naidu said the government had been prioritising relief measures and the restoration of electricity and drinking water supplies in affected areas.

He stated that a comprehensive report on the cyclone damage would be submitted to the Centre after a detailed assessment. He also urged the Centre to continue its support through the NDRF and other central agencies for relief and rehabilitation operations.

Naidu requested the Centre to depute a Central team at the earliest to assess the damage after the state government submitted its detailed assessment.

The Chief Minister thanked the Central government for its continued support to Andhra Pradesh. He wrote that the state government would closely monitor rainfall and flooding in the coming days and keep the Centre informed of further developments.