Central team to assess Cyclone Montha damage in Andhra Pradesh

A central government team will visit districts along the Andhra Pradesh coast affected by Cyclone Montha to assess the damage. The team, led by Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs Poushumi Basu and comprising six officials, is scheduled to tour the affected areas on Monday and Tuesday, according to Prakhar Jain, Managing Director of the State Disaster Management Authority.

The inter-ministerial team includes officials from key departments such as agriculture, water resources, roads, electricity, and rural development. The visit is crucial following extensive crop losses, damage to infrastructure, and the displacement of several families caused by the cyclone.

During the two-day visit, the team will split into two groups for field inspections. On Monday, Team 1 will visit Bapatla district, while Team 2 will tour Krishna, Eluru, and East Godavari districts. On Tuesday, the teams will inspect Prakasam and Konaseema districts. They will also meet directly with affected residents to understand losses to crops, homes, and infrastructure.

After the field visits, district officials will submit detailed damage reports to the central team. Based on these findings, the team will prepare a comprehensive report on Cyclone Montha’s impact to submit to the central government. This report will help the state government request financial aid, which will speed up relief work, rehabilitation, and the restoration of critical infrastructure in the affected areas.