AP Badly Battered by Murasu Cyclone: Crops Across 30,000 Hectares Damaged
In Short
Cyclone Murasu has left a trail of devastation across Andhra Pradesh, damaging standing crops spread over more than 30,000 hectares in 15 affected districts. According to officials, paddy, cotton and maize were among the worst-hit crops.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone on Tuesday and explained the damage caused by the severe cyclone.
Naidu briefed the Prime Minister on the damage caused first by Cyclone Arnab and subsequently by Cyclone Murasu, which struck the state in quick succession. He sought generous financial assistance from the Centre to undertake relief and restoration work.
He informed the Prime Minister that the cyclones had damaged roads and highways, disrupted power supply due to the uprooting of electric poles, and caused extensive crop losses across more than 30,000 hectares. Modi is learnt to have appreciated the State government's preventive measures and constant monitoring of the situation, which ensured no loss of life.
Cyclone Murasu has left a trail of devastation across Andhra Pradesh, damaging standing crops spread over more than 30,000 hectares in 15 affected districts. According to officials, paddy, cotton and maize were among the worst-hit crops.
Krishna, Bapatla and Nandyal districts were among the worst affected by the cyclone.
An official press release said the cyclone had an adverse impact on 132 mandals across the 15 districts. As many as 10,805 people were evacuated to cyclone shelters. The state government set up 171 relief camps and distributed 14,810 food packets, the release added.
Eleven NDRF and 13 SDRF teams were deployed for relief and rescue operations. The authorities also arranged 613 generators to ensure uninterrupted essential services. The Fire Department deployed 185 teams to clear uprooted trees and remove waterlogging.
As a precautionary measure ahead of the cyclone's landfall, 3,066 pregnant women and 1,008 nursing mothers were shifted to hospitals. In addition, 725 medical teams were dispatched to 13 districts, while 362 ambulances were kept on standby as part of the emergency response measures.
A Journey of Three Decades Time passes faster than we realise. What feels like a journey that began only yesterday has today grown into more than three decades of a meaningful and fulfilling life devoted to education, journalism, and the empowerment of young minds. My professional journey began with journalism training in New Delhi in 1979. I went on to work as an independent journalist, drawing on my fluency in both English and Telugu. Over the years, I have edited and worked on Telugu articles in both languages, an experience that strengthened my command of language and sharpened my understanding of society, people, and contemporary issues. Yet, my principal profession and enduring passion have always been teaching. My decision to become a teacher was not merely a career choice—it was a calling. Teaching offered me the rare privilege of inspiring young minds, guiding them through their formative years, and making a lasting difference in their lives. I found immense satisfaction in simplifying complex concepts, nurturing curiosity, encouraging independent thought, and building confidence among students. Every moment in the classroom—every question, every moment of discovery, and every spark of understanding—reminded me why I had chosen this path: to empower young people through knowledge, values, and essential life skills. My teaching career began at the grassroots level as a Montessori teacher and gradually progressed to the position of Vice Principal. I had the opportunity to work in reputed educational institutions, including Dilsukhnagar Public School in Hyderabad, where I shouldered both teaching and administrative responsibilities. Although I have always considered myself, at heart, a teacher, my administrative experience enabled me to understand and contribute to the education system from a much broader perspective. For my students, I have always tried to be an approachable and dependable presence—someone they could turn to not only for academic support, but also for guidance and emotional encouragement. At the same time, I developed a reputation as a firm disciplinarian who believed that integrity, fairness, responsibility, and discipline were fundamental to education. I was also consistently appreciated for maintaining clear communication with parents and staff and for ensuring that examinations and other academic processes were conducted with transparency, fairness, and efficiency. As my career progressed, however, I began to feel that academic education alone was not enough. This realization led me to work more closely with students following the SSC and CBSE curricula, while consciously bringing life-skills education into my teaching. I came to understand that education becomes truly meaningful when it prepares children not merely to pass examinations, but to face life. Teaching emotional resilience, self-reliance, social awareness, communication, decision-making, and other practical life skills often had a deeper and more lasting impact than academic achievement alone. I saw how these skills could help students navigate challenges with greater confidence, maturity, and responsibility. My academic background provided a strong foundation for this approach. My degree in Psychology from the University of Madras helped me develop a deeper understanding of young people's minds, their emotional needs, and the influence of their family and social environments. My M.A. in Telugu with First Class from Osmania University.
