Tech-driven preparedness helped reduce cyclone impact, says Naidu

VIJAYAWADA

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has said that the State government’s strategic use of technology, advance planning, and coordinated action among departments has greatly reduced the impact of Cyclone Montha, which, despite its severity, caused an estimated damage of ₹5,265 crore across Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing a media conference at the Secretariat on the cyclone’s impact and the government’s response on Thursday, Mr. Naidu said that the State was able to significantly reduce the scale of destruction through technology-driven preparedness and effective coordination among departments. “We were able to minimise the cyclone’s impact using advanced technology. All government departments worked in close coordination, and we managed to restore normalcy to a large extent on the very first day,” the Chief Minister said.

He explained that satellite imagery and real-time data from the RTGS Data Lake enabled officials to predict rainfall intensity, wind speeds, and potential flood zones, facilitating timely warnings and preventive action. “In the past, recovery from cyclones would take over a week, but with better planning and technology, we reduced both loss of life and property,” Mr. Naidu observed.

Referring to losses, the Chief Minister said preliminary estimates indicate that Cyclone Montha caused damage worth around ₹5,265 crore across Andhra Pradesh. Of this, losses in agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture, and roads were estimated at ₹2,079 crore, while the power and water resources departments sustained a damage of about ₹207 crore. A comprehensive report on the losses would be sent to the Central government shortly, he said.

Mr. Naidu  appreciated Ministers, officials, and people’s representatives, including coalition MPs and MLAs, for visiting affected areas and reassuring the public. He further noted that Ministers Nara Lokesh and V. Anitha closely monitored the situation from the RTGS Command Centre, while field-level teams took swift action in coordination with district administrations.

The Chief Minister added that technology was being used not only to monitor cyclone intensity but also to identify crop losses and inundated areas. Criticising those spreading misinformation online, he remarked, “Some people seem unhappy when the government uses technology to protect lives and prevent suffering. Their attitude is unfortunate.”