Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is leading the Naidu restoration drive following Cyclone Arnab, with departments working round the clock to restore essential services. His continuous monitoring of relief and recovery operations has strengthened public confidence across affected areas.
For the past four days, Naidu has reviewed the situation through field visits, teleconferences and video conferences. On Friday, October 30, he assessed the progress before leaving for Mogalthur. He directed officials to prioritise electricity, roads and communication networks.
The Chief Minister said he would not rest until assistance reached every affected person. He also instructed officials to maintain their commitment until all relief and restoration work was complete.
Electricity restoration has gathered pace with support from other states. Under APEPDCL, power has returned to 4,881 of the 5,404 affected villages. In addition, 513 of the 552 damaged substations have resumed operations. This represents nearly 93% restoration.
All affected villages in Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Kakinada and Eluru districts have regained electricity. Meanwhile, Krishna district has restored power in 867 of its 915 affected villages.
Naidu restoration drive covers roads and irrigation
Mobile connectivity has also improved, with 661 of the 1,045 damaged towers restored. Teams have cleared all 2,270 trees that fell on Roads and Buildings Department roads. Furthermore, connectivity has returned at 119 of the 137 affected road locations.
The Water Resources Department has completed temporary restoration at all 100 affected locations. These include 78 tanks and 22 canals, helping revive essential irrigation infrastructure.
However, the cyclone caused extensive crop damage. Agricultural crops across 3.52 lakh hectares in 16 districts suffered losses. Horticultural crops were affected across another 23,211 hectares. Naidu said the government would submit a comprehensive damage assessment to Central teams and seek assistance for affected farmers.
Rainfall between October 26 and 29 generated an estimated 380 TMC of water across Andhra Pradesh. Effective water management has already added 4.68 TMC to reservoir storage. Officials expect another 5–6 TMC to be added. Groundwater reserves have also increased by approximately 44 TMC.
