VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced that he would personally visit cyclone-affected areas on Friday to assess the situation at ground level.
Reviewing the post-Murasu cyclone situation at his camp office on Thursday, Naidu enquired officials about damage caused across various departments, including Agriculture, Electricity, Municipal Administration and Panchayat Raj, and reviewed the relief and restoration measures being undertaken.
With two consecutive cyclones affecting the state, the Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that farmers and the public do not face any hardships.
He stressed the need to prioritise the restoration of electricity supply, repair of roads and uninterrupted drinking water supply.
According to the preliminary damage assessment presented by officials, the cyclone has caused an estimated loss of Rs 1,918.55 crore to the state. Agricultural crops were damaged across 1,43,122 hectares, affecting 1,86,063 farmers. Horticultural crops suffered damage across 6,749 hectares, impacting 12,586 farmers.
A total of 983 houses, 346 boats and 220 fishing nets were also damaged.
Officials informed the Chief Minister that it would take 48-72 hours to assess the extent of crop damage after floodwaters recede.