Murasu Cyclone Leaves Andhra Pradesh With Rs 2,484 Crore Damage

Andhra Pradesh has suffered preliminary losses of Rs 2,484.43 crore due to severe cyclonic storm Murasu, which affected several districts, damaging crops, houses and infrastructure. An eight-member Central Inter-Ministerial Team has appreciated the state government's response, particularly the restoration of electricity, mobile networks and road connectivity within two days of the cyclone.

The team, led by Union Home Ministry Joint Secretary Chittaranjan Das, visited the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) office in Vijayawada on Friday to assess the damage. APSDMA Managing Director and RTGS CEO Prakhar Jain presented details of the cyclone's impact, advance preparations, rescue operations and restoration measures.

The central team appreciated the efforts of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) in minimising casualties and property damage. Das said the coordination between central and state agencies demonstrated the spirit of cooperative federalism.

Jain explained that Murasu brought winds of up to 120 kmph while relief operations for Cyclone Arnab were still underway. Continuous monitoring by RTGS and APSDMA helped authorities identify the likely landfall location and timing, issue warnings and evacuate people from vulnerable areas. Officials also responded to complaints received through the 'Mana Mitra' WhatsApp service and toll-free numbers.

Prakasam, Bapatla, Guntur, Krishna, NTR, West Godavari and Eluru were among the worst-affected districts. The cyclone impacted 1,93,769 people across 106 mandals, 315 villages and 746 rural and urban local bodies.

The government established 536 relief camps, providing shelter to 31,080 people. As a precaution, 3,066 pregnant women were shifted to hospitals and 253 medical camps were organised. Authorities also prevented 12,967 fishing boats from entering the sea. Thirteen NDRF and 11 SDRF teams were deployed across eight districts.

Nearly 1.43 lakh hectares of agricultural crops, belonging to around 1.86 lakh farmers, were damaged, along with 6,756 hectares of horticultural crops. The cyclone also damaged 3,859 houses and 1,385 km of roads.

Department-wise losses include Rs 889 crore for Roads and Buildings, Rs 875 crore for Agriculture, Rs 337 crore for Horticulture, Rs 136 crore for Irrigation, Rs 119 crore for Panchayat Raj Engineering and Rs 54 crore for Energy.

The assessment as of November 12 puts the total preliminary damage at Rs 2,484.43 crore. The central team subsequently split into two groups to inspect Bapatla and Eluru districts and is scheduled to visit Palnadu and East Godavari on Saturday. It will submit a detailed report to the Centre after completing its field assessment.