Hyderabad: Cyclone Arnab has left seven people dead and caused an estimated loss of Rs 4,600 crore in Andhra Pradesh, damaging agricultural and horticultural crops across 2.24 lakh hectares and affecting nearly 3.45 lakh farmers in 14 districts.
The very severe cyclonic storm Arnab, which made landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday (October 28) with wind speeds of 125–135 kmph, caused widespread damage to standing crops, roads, electricity poles and horticultural plantations.
According to the state government, around 126 km of roads were damaged, resulting in an estimated loss of Rs 59.45 crore. At least 15,000 electricity poles were also damaged, disrupting power supply in several cyclone-affected districts.
West Godavari district reported the highest agricultural crop damage, with 76,176 hectares affected, followed by Dr B R Ambedkar Konaseema with 44,232 hectares, Kakinada with 42,222 hectares, East Godavari with 29,866 hectares and Krishna with 22,339 hectares, according to the state agriculture minister.
The impact was particularly severe in the Godavari delta, where nearly 82 per cent of the paddy area in West Godavari, 75 per cent in Konaseema and 48 per cent in Kakinada districts were inundated.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday visited cyclone-affected areas and conducted an aerial survey of damaged agricultural fields and horticultural plantations in Krishna, West Godavari and Konaseema districts.
During the survey, Naidu inspected inundated paddy fields, damaged banana and coconut plantations, and aquaculture ponds in Nimmakuru, Pamarru, Bantumilli, Narasapuram, Palakollu, Amalapuram and Katrenikona.
He announced that central teams would visit the state on Friday to assess the cyclone damage. The Chief Minister said the preliminary estimate put the losses caused by the cyclone at Rs 4,600 crore and added that the figure could increase after a detailed assessment.
Earlier, Naidu held a teleconference with district collectors and senior officials of various departments to review relief and restoration operations following the cyclone.
He directed officials not to rest until normalcy was fully restored in cyclone-hit areas and instructed them to expedite electricity restoration, damage assessments and compensation to affected families.
"Officials should restore electricity supply in all cyclone-affected areas and expedite compensation for those affected, while continuing relief and restoration work until normalcy returns," Naidu said, according to an official press release.
He also instructed district collectors to expedite damage assessments and release compensation for losses other than crop damage, in accordance with the government order already issued.
Naidu asked officials to immediately remove uprooted trees and debris from roads and take precautionary measures to prevent breaches in irrigation tanks and canals.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and assured all possible assistance from the Centre.
Shah said National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams were working on a war footing and that inter-ministerial teams would be sent to assess the damage caused by the cyclone.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Arnab weakened into a deep depression and subsequently into a depression after crossing the Andhra Pradesh coast.
Even as Andhra Pradesh continued relief and restoration operations, the IMD warned of another developing weather system over the south Andaman Sea.
A fresh low-pressure area is likely to concentrate into a depression near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands around October 31 and intensify further as it moves towards the Andhra Pradesh coast over the following two days.
With large areas of farmland remaining inundated and restoration work continuing, the state government has directed officials to remain vigilant and ensure that relief measures reach affected families without delay.
Meanwhile, three fishermen from Chollangipeta village in Tallarevu mandal of Kakinada district, who went missing after their boat capsized at sea on Tuesday, were rescued safely and brought ashore on Thursday following swift action by officials and rescue teams.
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) rescued 20 crew members from a Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier vessel, MV Sigma Pearl, which ran aground near Antarvedi off the Andhra Pradesh coast following an engine failure due to Cyclone Arnab.