TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him to declare the destruction caused by cyclone Michaung as a ‘national disaster’.
Citing widespread damages by the cyclone in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, Naidu requested Modi to recognise its impact.
“In light of these circumstances and recognizing that the impact of the cyclone has not been confined to Andhra Pradesh alone but has also affected neighbouring Tamil Nadu, I earnestly request the declaration of cyclone Michaung as a national disaster,” Naidu stated in the letter. He also urged the Prime Minister to dispatch a central team to assess and estimate the extent of damage. Naidu said that preliminary assessments pointed to crop losses of up to Rs 10,000 crore with damages to 770 km of roads and considerable impact to drinking water, irrigation, power and other facilities. According to former CM, recognising the calamity as a national disaster will provide the necessary impetus for immediate relief efforts and the establishment of resilient and long-term infrastructure.