Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday, 6 November conducted a ground-level inspection of cyclone-devastated areas across Guntur and Bapatla districts, assuring every affected resident of government assistance. The visit follows the destruction wrought by cyclone 'Murasu', which submerged standing crops and caused extensive infrastructure damage across the two districts and neighbouring Prakasam.

CM Walks the Field

In a visible show of solidarity with the farming community, Naidu walked on foot from Jillellamudi to Returu village in Bapatla district, traversing embankments of irrigation canals and submerged field channels. He stopped repeatedly to speak directly with farmers, officials, and public representatives, inquiring about crop investments, projected yields, and specific losses sustained.

At the Jillellamudi bridge, the Chief Minister assessed the intensity of floodwaters first-hand, with officials and farmers explaining how the surge had inundated surrounding agricultural land. In Returu, he waded through paddy fields still under floodwater, listening to farmers who described harvesting their crops after receiving irrigation water through the Pattiseema project — only for the cyclone to deliver a devastating blow just before harvest.

Relief Measures Announced

Naidu confirmed that a comprehensive damage assessment is currently underway. He assured that crop insurance and government input subsidies will be deployed to compensate farmers for a portion of their lost investment. Officials were directed to intensify awareness drives on crop insurance enrolment among the farming community.

The Chief Minister also instructed authorities to devise plans for supplying irrigation water ahead of the regular cultivation season, enabling early sowing that would reduce cyclone-season exposure. He noted that the completion of the Polavaram project would open up further early-cultivation opportunities, reducing farmers' vulnerability to late-season storms.

Scale of Damage and Recovery Efforts

Naidu disclosed that 30,000 electricity poles downed by one cyclone have been restored, while a subsequent storm damaged a further 10,000 poles. Efforts to rapidly restore power to aquaculture ponds are ongoing. He added that assistance has been formally sought from the states of Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu for relief operations.

The Chief Minister noted that the cyclones struck at a particularly cruel time — just as crops were approaching harvest — compounding hardship for farmers who had already battled the effects of El Niño earlier in the season. He acknowledged that proactive government measures had helped contain some of the potential damage.

Centre Informed, PM Modi Inquires

Naidu confirmed that the Central government has been kept fully briefed on the scale of the disaster, and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has personally inquired about the situation in the affected districts. He urged citizens not to take cyclone warnings lightly and to remain on high alert whenever such advisories are issued.

With damage assessments still in progress, the full relief package is expected to be finalised in the coming days as the state works to restore normalcy across its cyclone-battered coastal belt.