Helping hand: on Cyclones Arnab and Murasu

Long-term preparedness and a swift response by authorities minimised casualties when the back-to-back cyclones Arnab and Murasu hit two places of the Andhra Pradesh coast. In Andhra Pradesh, damage from Cyclone Arnab, which made landfall on October 28 was estimated at roughly ₹4,526 crore. Initial estimates of the damage by Cyclone Murasu, which crossed the coast on November 3, indicate that about 52,500 hectares of standing crops were affected. The State reported seven deaths from the two cyclones. The first cyclone damaged nearly 90,000 hectares of standing crops in southern parts of Odisha. After preliminary on-the-spot assessment of flood-hit areas, the Union government is expected to soon release the first instalment of funds to the affected States. Personnel from Karnataka, Telangana and Tamil Nadu have also gone to the rescue of Andhra Pradesh.The deployment of the Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) and other technologies has significantly reduced human casualties and property damage. During Cyclone Hudhud in October 2014, Andhra Pradesh reported 63 deaths and damage estimated at nearly ₹22,000 crore. As natural disasters become more frequent in India, greater collaboration is needed between higher learning institutions, especially in science and technology, and central and State government agencies. Authorities must develop an effective compensation framework for saving crops/crop losses. The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, a crop insurance scheme that was launched by the Union government a decade ago, has not provided farmers with comprehensive safety cover, as they suffer due to the vagaries of nature. The Union government should improve the scheme so that all farmers are encouraged to bring their crops under the scheme, while State governments should raise awareness about the insurance scheme and support agriculturists by topping up benefits that are under the insurance cover. The Centre should also focus on financial assistance for permanent restoration projects. The initial stand of the Union government was that the National and State Disaster Response Funds were meant for response and relief, not recovery and reconstruction, but following the 15th Finance Commission’s nudge, it added recovery and reconstruction as a component of the two funds two years ago. However, when public infrastructure suffers extensive damage, the Centre should provide additional assistance to ease the burden on affected States. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team at the Centre must act in the spirit of “cooperative federalism”. Published - November 05, 2026 12:20 am IST