Cyclone Murasu: Naidu orders faster power restoration as losses put at ₹1,919 crore

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has ordered officials to restore electricity quickly and keep prices of essential goods under control in the areas hit by Cyclone Murasu, which his government’s preliminary estimate says caused damage worth ₹1,919 crore.

Mr. Naidu told officials on 7 November to keep a close watch on relief work in the field, finish assessing the damage as early as possible, and make sure affected families receive financial help without delay.

At least eight people have died in cyclone-related incidents, according to the latest reports. Crops on about 1.4 lakh hectares have been damaged, a figure that has risen steadily as assessments came in: the first estimate after landfall was about 30,000 hectares across 15 districts, with Krishna, Bapatla and Nandyal among the worst hit. The latest count puts the affected area at 59 mandals and 649 gram panchayats.

Power supply is coming back. Of 1,103 damaged 11-kV feeders, 871 had been restored; of 3,946 electricity poles damaged, 1,493 had been repaired. At the height of the storm, more than 12,000 people were in cyclone shelters.

The background

Murasu, a severe cyclonic storm, made landfall on Andhra Pradesh’s southern coast on Tuesday, 3 November, uprooting trees, bringing down power lines and flooding low-lying areas. It was the second cyclone to hit the region in a week, after Cyclone Arnab, and it came a year after Cyclone Montha struck the State’s coast in October 2025. The State’s long coastline on the Bay of Bengal makes it one of the most cyclone-prone in India, and October-November is the peak of the post-monsoon storm season.

What’s next

The damage figures are preliminary and are likely to change as field assessments are completed. The State is expected to use them to seek help from the Centre.