Andhra Pradesh requests ₹901 cr immediate aid after Cyclone Montha causes massive damage

The Andhra Pradesh government has reported that Cyclone Montha caused far greater damage than initially expected, resulting in an estimated financial loss of ₹6,384 crore. The state has requested urgent relief assistance of ₹901.4 crore from the central government to support recovery efforts.

A central team, led by Pasumai Basu, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, and Dr. K. Ponnuswamy, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, arrived in Amaravati on Monday to assess the cyclone’s impact. The officials were briefed at the state Secretariat by G. Jayalakshmi, Special Principal Secretary of the Revenue Department, and Prakhar Jain, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) of Chief Strategy Officer (ARTGS), through a detailed PowerPoint presentation.

Jayalakshmi explained that the cyclone wreaked havoc across 24 districts, with the agricultural sector suffering the most. Crops such as paddy, cotton, lentils, and maize were destroyed over 1.61 lakh hectares, while 6,250 hectares of horticultural crops and 17.72 hectares of mulberry plantations were also damaged. Fishermen faced severe losses, with 3,063 hectares of fish ponds destroyed.

Infrastructure damage was extensive. The cyclone damaged 4,566 homes and 1,853 schools. Roads spanning 4,794 kilometers and 311 bridges and culverts were destroyed. Irrigation projects were hit hard, including 3,437 minor and 2,417 medium and major projects. Urban areas were also affected, with 58 local bodies impacted.

Officials noted that proactive planning helped minimize loss of life. A total of 680 drones were deployed for early warning and relief operations. Between October 27-29, the state recorded 82.3 mm of rainfall - nine times higher than usual - which affected 443 mandals. Three people lost their lives, 9,960 homes were submerged, and 1,11,402 people were rendered homeless.

Relief operations were carried out on a war-footing, with 12 NDRF and 13 SDRF teams, 1,702 vehicles, and 110 divers deployed. The state also set up 2,471 temporary rehabilitation centers across 22 districts, providing shelter to 1,92,441 people.

The state government emphasized that central assistance will be crucial for helping affected communities recover and rebuild their lives.