VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said the coordinated efforts of government departments, district administrations and field-level staff helped Andhra Pradesh avert loss of lives and minimise property damage during the successive Arnab and Murasu cyclones.
Addressing a media conference at the Real Time Governance System (RTGS) centre in the Secretariat on Tuesday, Naidu said the entire government machinery worked with team spirit, round the clock, to carry out rescue, relief and restoration operations. He particularly appreciated district collectors for effectively coordinating the response in the affected areas.
The Chief Minister said the government had prioritised rescue, relief and rehabilitation, using real-time weather information and data from the AWARE system to anticipate the impact and deploy personnel and equipment in vulnerable areas. Forecasts relating to wind speeds, rainfall, floods and water diversion were found to be nearly 90 per cent accurate.
Highlighting the restoration of electricity infrastructure, he said nearly 31,000 electricity poles were uprooted, disrupting power supply in 4,095 villages and affecting 548 substations. Although such extensive damage would normally take at least 20 days to restore, the department managed to largely restore supply within four to five days through coordinated efforts.
He praised electricity personnel for working in heavy rain, clearing fallen trees and erecting replacement poles under difficult conditions.
The government also took special measures to protect vulnerable sections. Nearly 5,000 pregnant women from cyclone-affected areas were shifted to hospitals in advance, while 1,029 deliveries were recorded during the past week.
Medical camps, ambulances, emergency medicines and anti-snake venom were made available. Essential commodities sufficient for two months were stocked in 19,265 ration shops across 17 districts.
The Chief Minister said he had sought assistance from the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka to speed up restoration works.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had also assured the Centre’s support An interim report estimating the damage caused by Cyclone Arnab at Rs 4,526 crore had been submitted to the Centre.
‘Public welfare above electoral gains’ Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu asserted that protecting people’s lives and addressing their hardships were the top priorities of his government. He made it clear that public welfare would take precedence over electoral considerations.
Naidu said his government was committed to safeguarding people and ensuring that relief measures reached those affected by the cyclone. He said he firmly believed that electoral results would follow automatically if the government succeeded in resolving people’s problems