Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has urgently requested the central government to provide financial assistance after Cyclone Montha wreaked havoc across Andhra Pradesh, causing estimated losses of ₹6,384 crore. The appeal was made to a central team assessing the damage on Tuesday.
Massive Scale of Destruction
The cyclone severely impacted 3,109 villages across 443 mandals in 18 districts, displacing 111,000 families and submerging 9,960 houses. The agricultural sector suffered tremendously with crops destroyed across 1.61 lakh hectares, directly affecting 327,000 farmers.
Naidu emphasized that while effective planning minimized human casualties, the property damage, particularly to standing crops, has been catastrophic. The state government successfully relocated 1.92 lakh people to relief camps across 22 districts and provided immediate financial support of ₹3,000 each to 3.36 lakh affected families.
Infrastructure Damage and Restoration Needs
The infrastructure losses are equally staggering with damage to:
- 4,794 km of roads
- 12,856 electricity poles
- 2,318 transformers
Naidu specifically sought ₹2,622 crore for immediate restoration of roads and electricity networks. The chief minister assured the central team, led by Pausumi Basu, Joint Secretary in the Home Ministry, that the final damage estimates from the state would be submitted within two days.
Additional Support Requests
Beyond immediate relief, Naidu highlighted several critical needs:
He requested amendments to procurement guidelines for soaked grains and highlighted the severe losses suffered by cotton farmers. The chief minister also noted that the previous administration had emptied disaster management funds, leaving the state particularly vulnerable.
For coastal erosion mitigation, Naidu sought:
- ₹323 crore for Uppada
- ₹203 crore for Visakhapatnam
- ₹98 crore for Srikakulam
Additional requests included ₹11.77 crore for a lightning warning system and arresters, and ₹18.48 crore for fire prevention systems in forest areas.
Meeting with Agriculture Minister
In a separate meeting with Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Naidu discussed agriculture and minor irrigation issues arising from the cyclone damage. He requested ₹695 crore under the PM-RKVY-PDMC scheme for 2024-25 and 2025-26, and asked for the release of ₹100 crore as the Centre's share for support price to Totapuri farmers under the Market Intervention Scheme.
The central team acknowledged the state government's effective preparedness measures, including RTGS alerts, pre-positioning of rescue teams, and relocation of pregnant women to safe locations. The team committed to forwarding its assessment report to the central government promptly.
