No Cyclone Victim Will Be Left Behind, Assures CM Chandrababu

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has assured comprehensive assistance to every person affected by Cyclone Arnab, stating that the government would not leave any victim behind. The state has estimated the initial damage at Rs 4,600 crore and submitted a preliminary report to the Centre.

During his visit to cyclone-hit areas in West Godavari district on Friday, the Chief Minister announced Rs 5 lakh compensation to the families of each of the seven people who died in the disaster. He assured support to farmers, coconut growers and fishermen who suffered losses.

Inspecting the cyclone shelter at Matrevu village in Mogalthur mandal, Chandrababu said timely warnings, precautionary measures and continuous monitoring had helped minimise casualties. He interacted with displaced residents and reviewed their rehabilitation needs.

The cyclone damaged more than 15,000 electricity poles across the state. The government aimed to restore full power supply by Saturday evening, prioritising households before agricultural connections. Additional electricity personnel were being brought from Telangana. Of the 5,404 villages affected under APEPDCL, power had been restored to 4,881. Similarly, 867 of 915 affected villages in Krishna district had regained electricity.

Mobile connectivity was also being restored, with 661 of 1,045 damaged telecom towers operational. Around 12,500 trees were uprooted in West Godavari alone. Road restoration teams had cleared 2,270 fallen trees, while temporary repairs were completed at 100 affected locations involving tanks and canals.

The cyclone inundated 3,52,254 hectares of agricultural crops across 16 districts, besides damaging 23,211 hectares of horticultural crops. The Chief Minister promised relief through crop insurance and input subsidies and urged farmers to insure their crops through the e-Crop system. He also encouraged natural farming.

To address recurring flooding, Rs 3,000 crore has been earmarked for modernising Godavari delta canals. Chandrababu said rainfall between October 26 and 29 brought an estimated 380 TMC of water into the state, increasing groundwater levels by 44 TMC.

He also inspected inundated fields in Narsapuram mandal, interacted with farmers and reviewed damaged coconut plantations. Fishermen's concerns over silt accumulation near the sea entrance were referred to officials for necessary action.

Relief supplies, including rice, pulses, cooking oil and potatoes, are being distributed.