Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday said that Cyclone Titli, which struck the coast in Srikakulam District and ruthlessly uprooted several coconut and cashew trees in the Uddanam region, had pushed the area back by two decades.
Promising locals that the ruling Telugu Desam party (TDP) would develop the region to a better standard than it previously was, Naidu said that normalcy would be restored by October 29.
Stating that the compensation would also be dispatched to those who suffered damages, Naidu said that the enumeration process would be completed by October 22, following which the state government would receive objections till October 25.
"A separate Titli Uddanam Reconstruction Unit (East) has been launched to receive donations from MNCs, NRI and voluntary organisations," the Chief Minister said.
Naidu also said that they were awaiting monetary assistance from the Centre, but it was not forthcoming.
Last week, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Naidu said, "The cyclone has devastated these districts (Srikakulam and Vizianagaram) and has left huge damage to properties, agriculture and horticulture crops, houses and infrastructure resulting in deep distress and misery to the people of these districts."
The state government has made a tentative estimation of the damage in all sectors, including agriculture, horticulture, electricity and irrigation. It has stated roughly Rs 2,800 crore rupees to be the estimated worth of the damages incurred.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Minister Nara Lokesh and Srikakulam MP B Ram Mohan Naidu have appealed to people from across the world to donate to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to help rebuild the lives of those affected by the natural disaster.
Stating that Cyclone Titli struck on October 11 with high winds of up to 165 kmph, followed by flooding, heavy rain ranging from 10 to 43 cm and storm surges, Lokesh said that the state government was working full-time in restoring normalcy in the affected areas.
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