The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday made a representation to the central government and demanded that Cyclone Titli be declared a national calamity, adding that the state required Rs 1,200 crore immediately as interim relief.
In a meeting with cabinet secretary PK Sinha, Andhra Pradesh relief Commissioner D Varaprasad and resident commissioner Praveen Prakash said that the cyclone had caused massive damage, especially in Srikakulam district.
"The severe cyclone has caused heavy damage to the public and private properties in 1,802 villages covering Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts. The total damage caused by the cyclone amounts to Rs. 3,435.29 crore," the state government's representation stated.
On the request of the state to send a team from the Centre to assess the extent of damage, the latter said that they were likely to send a team on October 24.
Earlier this week, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said that the cyclone, which struck the coast in Srikakulam District and ruthlessly uprooted several coconut and cashew trees in the Uddanam region, had pushed the area back by two decades. He also said that normalcy would be restored by October 29.
Last week, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Naidu had said, "The cyclone has devastated these districts (Srikakulam and Vizianagaram) and has left huge damage to properties, agriculture and horticulture crops, houses and infrastructure resulting in deep distress and misery to the people of these districts."
Naidu informed PM Modi that he himself camped in the cyclone hit districts and oversaw relief measures and restoration operations. An instant estimation report by by the Andhra Pradesh Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) stated that a total population of over 9 lakh people were affected by Cyclone Titli in both Srikakulam and Vizianagaram.
The state government has announced Rs 5 lakhs compensation to each family which lost members in the cyclone.