Cyclone Murasu causes eight deaths and Rs 1,918.55 crore damage in Andhra Pradesh
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will visit affected areas on Friday to assess the ground situation following the cyclone's landfall on Tuesday.
Cyclone Murasu caused eight deaths and an estimated loss of Rs 1,918.55 crore in Andhra Pradesh, according to a preliminary assessment reported by Telangana Today on Thursday. The fatalities included five people in Bapatla district, two in Guntur district, and one in Palnadu district.
The storm impacted 1,86,063 farmers through the destruction of 1,43,122 hectares of crops. Additionally, 12,586 farmers were affected by damage to 6,749 hectares of horticultural crops. Other losses included 983 houses, 346 boats, and 220 fishing nets.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reviewed relief efforts and instructed officials to prioritise repairing roads, restoring electricity, and maintaining drinking water supplies. He directed officials to ensure the public and farmers do not face hardships following the two consecutive cyclones.
Regarding infrastructure, the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department reported 760.10 kilometres of state highways and major district roads were damaged. The Panchayat Raj Engineering Department noted 204.14 kilometres of 74 rural roads were damaged, with restoration costs estimated at Rs 92.08 crore.
Electricity restoration is underway, with 871 of 1,103 affected 11 kV feeders restored under the APCPDCL jurisdiction. In the telecom sector, 30,518 of 31,428 towers have resumed operations, restoring 97.1 per cent of services.
The state government has released Rs 37 crore for immediate assistance. Officials told the Chief Minister that an accurate assessment of crop damage will take 48 to 72 hours once floodwaters recede.