Andhra Pradesh has asked India's central government for immediate aid after a preliminary state tally put Cyclone Murasu damage at Rs 2,484.43 crore across farms, roads and public infrastructure.
The figure is a state estimate, not a final central assessment. The Hans India and NDTV Profit reported that Andhra Pradesh submitted the tally to a visiting inter-ministerial team. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu sought funding for relief and rehabilitation.
The state put damage to roads and related infrastructure at Rs 888.84 crore. The tally listed 1,385 kilometers of affected roads, 36 road breaches and 65 damaged culverts.
Agricultural losses were estimated at Rs 874.97 crore across 143,617 hectares, affecting 186,063 farmers. Horticultural losses were put at Rs 337.10 crore across 6,756 hectares, affecting 12,605 farmers. Paddy losses were estimated at up to 90% in Eluru and 80% in East Godavari.
The tally also recorded damage to 10,192 11-kilovolt poles, 6,442 low-tension poles and 1,448 distribution transformers. It listed 3,859 damaged houses, including 645 huts, and estimated emergency relief spending at Rs 37 crore.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Murasu crossed the south Andhra Pradesh coast near Ongole on Nov. 3, with winds of 100–110 km/h and gusts up to 120 km/h. EconoTimes previously covered the IMD's forecast for the storm's crossing.
The Hans India reported that the assessment team linked limited crop-insurance uptake among cotton farmers to high premiums. It also reported that the team called for higher compensation for farmers whose organic crops were damaged and those practicing natural farming, and credited advance canal and stream desilting with helping limit losses. Naidu asked the team on Nov. 15 to submit its findings within 10 days.
