NCP MP says Cyclone Nisarga caused Rs 5,000-crore damage; seeks aid

Cyclone Nisarga has caused roughly Rs 5,000 crore worth of damage in Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts of Maharashtra, NCP MP Sunil Tatkare said on Thursday and asked the state government to announce a special economic package for the coastal region.

Tatkare made the appeal for financial assistance to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and his deputy Ajit Pawar, who belongs to the NCP. The Lok Sabha MP from Raigad submitted a memorandum in this regard to NCP president Sharad Pawar too, a statement said.

The Parliamentarian said the cyclone made landfall in Murud in Raigad and caused large-scale damage to properties in the district, besides Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.

As per initial information, losses of around Rs 5,000 crore have been caused. Hence, the government should carry out a survey and declare a special economic package for the affected people from the region, the NCP leader demanded.

The cyclone has damaged homes of people, orchards, crops, fishermens boats, vehicles and snapped electricity wires, among others, said the former Maharashtra minister, whose party is a key constituent in the Shiv Sena-led government in the state.

The cyclone, which made landfall on Wednesday afternoon, has gradually weakened into a depression.