Chandrababu Naidu Conducts Survey Of Areas Affected In Cyclone Phethai

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday conducted an aerial survey of Cyclone Phethai-hit districts of East and West Godavari districts in the state, even as rescue and relief measures were stepped up.

CM Naidu interacted with people lodged in a relief camp at Bhairavapalem and asked for details about food and other facilities.

Officials said about 12 crew members and fishermen of three deep-sea fishing trawlers, who went missing in the Bay of Bengal on Monday, were reported safe on Tuesday.

Another group of 14 fishermen, stranded at sea off Kakinada coast, were rescued in an operation by the Coast Guard.

Three boats that drifted in the sea under the impact of Cyclone Phethai reached Sorlagondi near Nagayalanka in the Krishna district on Tuesday, according to the State Real-Time Governance Centre (RTGS).

Meanwhile, a release from the Coast Guard Station in Visakhapatnam said 14 fishermen stranded in two boats at sea off Kakinada were rescued on Tuesday.

The fishermen, who were stranded close to the ONGC rig, were airlifted in two sorties by a Coast Guard helicopter and brought back to Kakinada, the release added.

The Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam said a Naval Dornier aircraft from INS Dega was launched on Tuesday to undertake an aerial survey of coastal areas around Kakinada affected by Cyclone Phethai.

The aircraft carried out recce from Visakhapatnam along the coast up to Machilipatnam, a naval release said.

Photographs taken by the aircraft revealed flooding in low lying areas, including paddy fields in Kothapalli, Katrenikona villages and Sursani Yanam, south of Kakinada, the Navy said.

Preliminary estimates prepared by government agencies revealed that agriculture and horticulture crops in over 14,000 hectares suffered widespread damage due to Cyclone Phethai.

Paddy crop, ready for harvesting in a few more days, was the worst-affected, followed by banana plantations, maize, tobacco and other crops.

A detailed enumeration is being carried out to assess the exact damage, even as Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed the officials concerned to complete the process quickly so that compensation could be paid to affected farmers by December 20.

CM Naidu held a review meeting with ministers and East Godavari district officials at Kakinada.

The chief minister said the Andhra Pradesh government could make effective use of technology and precisely estimate the cyclone movement.

"We could take all precautionary measures because of this and ensure there was no loss of life," he said.

Generators were used for power supply in affected regions while 140 tankers have been deployed for drinking water supply. Communication and road networks were restored in time, bringing relief to people, he added.

Araku Valley in Visakhapatnam district recorded the maximum 23 cm of rain on Monday followed by Tallarevu (17 cm) in the East Godavari district.

Many parts of West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts also received rain under the impact of Cyclone Phethai, the chief minister said.

Cyclone Phethai lashed coastal Andhra Pradesh on Monday, triggering heavy rains, uprooting trees and electric poles, and claiming one life, before moving towards Odisha.