Cyclone Murasu: 8 dead, CM Naidu estimates damages at Rs 1919 cr in Andhra

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the aftermath of Cyclone Murasu on Thursday, November 5, inquiring with officials about damage caused across various departments, including Agriculture, Electricity, Municipal Administration and Panchayat Raj.

Officials reported that a total of eight people had died due to the cyclone—five in Bapatla district, two in Guntur district and one in Palnadu district.

According to a preliminary damage assessment, Cyclone Murasu 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 told the CM. They said it would take another 48–72 hours to assess the extent of crop damage accurately after floodwaters receded.

A week before Murasu, at least seven people were killed when Cyclone Arnab lashed the state, and a preliminary estimate of losses stood at Rs 4,600 crore. 

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.

The Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department reported damage to 760 kilometres of major district roads and state highways. Under the Panchayat Raj Engineering Department, 74 rural roads were damaged, resulting in losses across 204 kilometres. The estimated cost of restoring these roads is Rs 92.08 crore, officials said. 

The Panchayat Raj Department reported that 59 mandals and 649 gram panchayats were affected by Cyclone Murasu. 

A total of 11 SDRF teams, 13 NDRF teams and 390 fire personnel participated in cyclone relief and rescue operations. Restoration of damaged electricity infrastructure, roads, drinking water systems and other essential infrastructure is underway.