Cyclones Arnab and Murasu Devastate Over 461,000 Hectares of Crops in Andhra Pradesh
Cyclones Arnab and Murasu have caused extensive crop damage in Andhra Pradesh, affecting thousands of farmers and leading to significant economic losses.
Amaravati, November 10 (Daily Kiran) : Recent cyclones, ‘Arnab’ and ‘Murasu’, have wreaked havoc in Andhra Pradesh, destroying crops across more than 461,000 hectares. The agricultural sector has suffered immensely, with 29,960 hectares of horticultural crops also affected. Agriculture Minister Kinjirapu Achchannayudu held a teleconference with senior officials to assess the damage caused by these storms.
According to reports, cyclone ‘Arnab’ alone devastated crops in 15 districts, impacting 327,843 hectares and affecting 523,136 farmers. Out of a total cultivated area of 1,090,933 hectares in the affected districts, approximately 30.05 percent of the crops were lost. This has resulted in a staggering production loss of 978,091 tons, translating to an economic impact of around ₹2,392.84 crores.
In Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district, nearly all—99.19 percent—of the cultivated area was damaged, affecting 94,808 farmers and leading to an economic loss of ₹348.88 crores. Authorities estimate that millions will be required from the State Disaster Response Fund and the National Disaster Response Fund to address the crisis.
Cyclone ‘Murasu’ has also contributed to the destruction, with nine districts reporting losses across 133,351 hectares and impacting 186,269 farmers. From a total of 562,445 hectares of cultivated land, 23.71 percent has been destroyed, resulting in a production loss of 338,302 tons and an estimated economic loss of ₹816.53 crores.
The need for financial assistance is pressing, with estimates of ₹321.64 crores and ₹266.67 crores needed under the SDRF and NDRF, respectively. Cyclone ‘Arnab’ has damaged 23,211.48 hectares of horticultural crops across 215 mandals and 1,310 villages, impacting nearly 58,990 farmers. So far, assessments have been completed for 99.24 percent of the area associated with 58,630 farmers, while evaluations for the remaining 176.40 hectares involving 360 farmers are still pending.
In the wake of cyclone ‘Murasu’, eight districts have reported damage to 6,748.52 hectares of horticultural crops, affecting 12,586 farmers. Currently, only 32.77 percent of the area linked to 3,392 farmers has been assessed, leaving registration for 4,536.79 hectares involving 9,194 farmers still incomplete.
Minister Achchannayudu has directed officials to conduct a thorough ground-level assessment of the losses from both cyclones. He emphasized the importance of identifying unregistered areas and farmers on a district-wise basis, urging that the assessment process be expedited to ensure no eligible farmer is overlooked.
