VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has urged the visiting central team to come to help the cyclone victims through their generous recommendations on the massive crop and property losses in Andhra Pradesh.
He explained that houses, roads, power lines, crops and the aqua and handloom sectors suffered losses of Rs 6384 crore.
The central team, led by joint secretary to the home affairs ministry, Pausumi Basu, met the CM at the camp office in Undavalli on Tuesday. They apprised him of the losses they noticed during their field visits in the affected areas in Konaseema, East Godavari, Eluru, Krishna, Prakasam and Bapatla districts.
Chief secretary K Vijayanand and other state officials were present. They gave the central team a powerpoint presentation on cyclone loss. They said 3109 villages in 443 mandals were affected and ten lakh people suffered losses. Some 9960 houses were submerged and 1.11 lakh families rendered shelterless.
The officials said the crops in 1.61 lakh hectares were damaged, resulting in losses to 3.27 lakh farmers. The aqua, animal husbandry and handloom sectors also suffered losses. Roads at a stretch of 4794km were damaged, while 12856 electric poles and 2318 transformers were damaged. Some 1.92 lakh people were shifted to relief camps in 22 districts.
The state government distributed Rs 3000 each to 3.36 lakh families. This apart, the officials urged the Centre to release Rs 2622 crore by way of immediate relief.
The central team members said they would expedite their report to the central government within two days. The team-members praised chief minister Chandrababu Naidu for alerting the people in advance to protect lives and minimise property loss during the cyclone by monitoring via the real-time governance system.
The CM appealed to the central team to recommend the Centre for purchase of paddy that got wet due to the rain. He said cotton farmers also suffered heavy losses.
Naidu urged the Centre to release funds to prevent damage through sea erosion. He said that under the coastal sea erosion mitigation project, a sum of `323 crore should be sanctioned to prevent erosion at Uppada near Kakinada, Rs 203 crore for Visakha and Rs 98 crore for Srikakulam district.
He sought a sanction of Rs 11.77 crore to set up anti-lightning equipment and Rs 18.48 crore for fireproof systems in forests.