Cyclone Montha Wreaks Havoc in Andhra Pradesh .... State Seeks ₹6,384 Crore Aid from Centre

Cyclone Montha has caused widespread devastation across Andhra Pradesh, inflicting damage far beyond expectations. The state government has appealed to the Centre for generous relief assistance. According to official estimates, the cyclone caused losses worth ₹6,384 crore, and the state has sought ₹901.4 crore as immediate financial aid. A central team has arrived to assess the full scale of destruction.

The eight-member delegation, led by Pasumi Basu, Joint Secretary in the Union Home Ministry, and Dr. K. Ponnuswamy, Director in the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, visited the Secretariat in Amaravati on Monday. RTGS officials presented detailed data through a PowerPoint briefing. Authorities revealed that 24 districts were affected by the cyclone. Thanks to prior planning, the loss of life was minimized, and rescue operations were executed swiftly.

Drawing from previous flood management experience, 680 drones were deployed for relief efforts. Between October 27 and 29, the state recorded 82.3 mm of rainfall, nine times the normal average. The cyclone impacted 443 mandals, resulting in three deaths, 9,960 houses submerged, and 1,11,402 people displaced. Relief efforts involved 12 NDRF teams, 13 SDRF teams, 1,702 vehicles, and 110 swimmers.

Additionally, 2,471 relief camps were established across 22 districts, providing shelter to 1,92,441 people.