AP Seeks From Centre ₹6,352 Crore Relief For Cyclone Montha Damage
Andhra Pradesh Reports Losses of ₹6,356 Crore; Seeks ₹902 Crore as Immediate Assistance
VIJAYAWADA: AP ministers Nara Lokesh and Vangalapudi Anitha on Tuesday presented to union ministers Amit Shah and Shivraj Singh Chauhan a comprehensive report of damage caused by Cyclone Montha in Andhra Pradesh.
Education minister Lokesh and Disaster Management minister Anitha informed union Home minister Shan and union Agriculture minister Chauhan that Cyclone Montha, which made its landfall near Kakinada on the night of October 28 with wind speeds of over 100 kmph, causing havoc in 3,109 villages across 443 mandals in 24 districts of Andhra Pradesh, affecting over 9.53 lakh people.
State government swung into action right from the time it received alerts about Montha. It shifted 1.92 lakh people to 2,471 relief camps, providing them food, drinking water and essentials. It gave each cyclone affected family ₹3,000 as immediate assistance.
Presenting a detailed assessment of the damage caused, Lokesh and Anitha told the union ministers that the cyclone caused damage estimated at ₹4,324 crore to roads and public infrastructure, ₹1,302 crore to permanent structures, ₹369 crore to water resources and irrigation projects, ₹271 crore to agriculture and allied sectors: ₹41 crore to power sector, ₹48 crore to public assets and ₹7 crore to housing.
Minister Lokesh underlined that of the total ₹6,356 crore loss caused, ₹902 crore qualifies for immediate relief and restoration under the NDRF norms. In this regard, an Inter-Ministerial Central Team had conducted a field inspection on November 12 to assess the situation on ground.
Lokesh pointed out that the cyclone had dealt a severe blow to agriculture, especially in coastal and delta belts to an extent of 1.61 lakh hectares of crops, including paddy, maize, cotton, groundnut, pulses and millets, affecting nearly 3.27 lakh farmers, with crop loss estimated at 4.36 lakh metric tonnes.
“Horticulture suffered equally, with 6,250 hectares of orchards and plantations damaged. Banana, papaya, coconut, turmeric, chillies, vegetables and flower crops witnessed extensive destruction. Supporting structures, such as shade nets, nurseries, farm ponds, storage units and micro water sources got washed away, severely impacting livelihoods,” Lokesh pointed out.
Given the circumstances, he stressed that sustained central assistance is crucial for rebuilding the affected communities and restoring agricultural activity.
