Cyclone Montha: Chandrababu Govt Demands Rs 900 Crore For Rs 6,384 Crore Loss

The Andhra Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, has urged the Central government to immediately release ₹901.4 crore towards relief and restoration work for damages caused by Cyclone Montha.

The severe cyclonic storm wreaked havoc across 25 of the 26 districts in Andhra Pradesh during the last week of October, causing widespread destruction. An Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT), headed by Pausumi Basu, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, arrived in the state on November 10 to assess the extent of the damage.

The State government informed the team that Andhra Pradesh had suffered total losses amounting to ₹6,384 crore, and sought immediate financial assistance of ₹901.4 crore. Officials reported that around 1.61 lakh hectares of crops were destroyed, with severe losses to agriculture, roads, irrigation systems, and other infrastructure.

Flood damage details include 4,794 km of roads, 3,437 minor irrigation structures, and 2,417 other projects damaged. Additionally, fish ponds over 3,000 hectares were destroyed, while nearly 4,500 houses and 1,800 schools sustained damage. Roads covering 5,000 km, along with 311 bridges and culverts, were also affected.

Between October 27 and 29, the state recorded rainfall nearly nine times higher than the seasonal average, impacting 443 mandals. The cyclone resulted in three deaths, the submergence of 9,960 houses, and the displacement of over 1.11 lakh people.

The IMCT will continue visiting affected areas on November 11 to complete its assessment.