Amaravati, Nov 4 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday and inquired about the impact of cyclones ‘Arnab’ and ‘Murasu’.  As the state has been hit by two cyclones within a span of one week, the Prime Minister inquired about the situation in the affected areas.  According to an official release, Chief Minister Naidu explained the impact of cyclones 'Arnab' and 'Murasu' and the extent of the damage caused in the affected regions. 

The Chief Minister informed the Prime Minister that farmers have suffered significant losses due to heavy rains and strong winds. He also noted that there has been extensive damage across various sectors, including roads and power infrastructure, and requested that the Central government provide appropriate assistance to the state.  Prime Minister Modi acknowledged the effective work carried out by the state government in relief operations. He praised CM Naidu for successfully managing the challenges posed by the cyclones through constant vigilance.

Earlier, Chief Minister Naidu wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, urging the Centre to provide assistance to the state, which has suffered severe damage due to cyclones. The Chief Minister outlined the extensive damage to crops and property across several districts, the hardships faced by the public, and the relief measures undertaken by the state government. He requested the immediate release of necessary financial aid. 

Amit Shah also called CM Naidu on Tuesday to inquire about the impact of Cyclone 'Murasu', the extent of the damage, and the ongoing relief efforts. The Chief Minister briefed the Union Minister on the current situation in the state.  Speaking with Amit Shah twice in one day, the Chief Minister explained the cumulative losses caused by the back-to-back cyclones. He noted that before the state could fully recover from the impact of Cyclone Arnab, the arrival of Cyclone ‘Murasu’ had further complicated the situation. 

The Chief Minister informed the Union Home Minister that Cyclone ‘Murasu’ has caused an estimated preliminary loss of Rs 343.95 crore across eight government departments in the state. He noted that approximately 94 per cent of this loss occurred in the agricultural sector. Crops spanning 50,473 hectares across 465 villages in seven districts have been damaged, affecting 69,828 farmers. Of this, 45,900 hectares consist of paddy crops, with the total preliminary loss to the agricultural sector estimated at Rs 324.22 crore. The Chief Minister highlighted that the damage to crops, including horticultural produce, is particularly severe in the Bapatla, Krishna, and Guntur districts. 

He explained that, anticipating the impact of the cyclone, the State Disaster Management Authority, the Real-Time Governance Society, and emergency operations centres were placed on high alert. To facilitate relief and rehabilitation efforts in the affected areas, 11 SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) teams and 13 NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) teams were kept on standby.  Furthermore, 480 schools in the affected districts have been converted into relief centres, and 12,230 people have been evacuated to safer locations.

--IANS