CM Sets Deadline To Restore Power In Cyclone-Hit Areas
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to restore power supply in all areas affected by Cyclone: Reports
VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to restore power supply in all areas affected by Cyclone Arnab by Friday and expedite the assessment of crop losses using new technology.
He asked the administration to speed up decisions on compensation for the affected people, excluding crop-loss claims, and ensure that normalcy returned to all cyclone-hit areas at the earliest.
Reviewing the ground situation and restoration measures through a teleconference with district collectors and officials of various departments on Thursday, Naidu said the administration must continue to support people until normal conditions were fully restored.
Officials informed him that normalcy had returned to most affected areas, barring a few locations, and that a preliminary report on cyclone damage would be submitted on Thursday.
Naidu said the government had taken steps to minimise loss of life and property during the cyclone and prevent breaches in tanks and canals. Fallen trees had been cleared from most places, but officials were asked to immediately remove any remaining trees blocking roads and clear the debris accumulated during the storm.
Andhra Pradesh, he said, faced two different weather-related challenges. While Rayalaseema was experiencing difficulties due to the impact of El Niño, the rest of the state had suffered the effects of Cyclone Arnab.
Farmers in Rayalaseema were unable to take up cultivation under the prevailing conditions, while those in North Andhra, the coastal region and the Godavari districts had suffered damage to standing crops and coconut trees, he said.
The chief minister called for a well-planned approach to help people overcome the impact of these natural calamities. He asked officials to assess the damage quickly and implement the GOs on compensation fast.
He directed agriculture officials, scientists and students to study the extent to which submerged crops could be salvaged and suggest measures to prevent them from rotting. “Examine whether the damaged trees and plants, including coconut trees and other horticultural crops, could be replanted and revived.”
Naidu stressed the need to extend benefits under various government schemes to agricultural and horticultural farmers to help compensate for their losses.
The CM said the administration must keep people informed about relief and restoration measures, as regular communication would encourage public cooperation. He reiterated that officials should remain on the ground and provide assistance until normalcy was restored across all cyclone-affected areas.