Cyclone Montha, which crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast near Antarvedi village in Konaseema district past midnight on Tuesday, has caused significant destruction before weakening into a deep depression over coastal Andhra and adjoining Telangana.
The storm left three people dead, damaged over 1.5 lakh acres of crops, and disrupted power and transportation networks across several districts. Authorities said the losses were minimised due to early warnings, evacuations, and disaster preparedness measures.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday directed officials to extend an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the three deceased.
Power supply hit but restored in Andhra
Cyclone Montha badly damaged the state’s power infrastructure, uprooting transformers, electric, and causing sub-stations to trip in multiple districts. Despite heavy winds and rain, nearly 12,000 linemen and engineers from the energy department worked round the clock to restore electricity. By Tuesday night, around 80 percent of the power supply had been restored, officials said.
Chief Secretary K Vijayanand, who monitored the situation from the secretariat, said the focus was on restoring high-tension feeders to ensure essential services such as water supply and communications were revived quickly. “Over 63,000 poles, 7,600 transformers, and 600 km of power cables were dispatched to affected areas. Preliminary estimates put the infrastructure damage at around Rs 89 crore, though a final assessment will follow,” TOI quoted Vijayanand as saying.
Cyclone Montha: Heavy crop losses in Andhra
Heavy damage to standing crops across the coastal and Rayalaseema regions were also caused due to Cyclone Montha. As per the early estimates, over 1.5 lakh acres of crops were affected, especially paddy and maize.
In addition to three human deaths, 42 livestock were also reported dead due to the cyclone, according to a report by The Indian Express. The Andhra Pradesh government said relief and compensation measures are being planned for affected farmers and families.
Trail of destruction in Odisha and Telangana
Neighbouring Telangana and Odisha were also hit by the cyclone’s aftermath. In Telangana, 16 districts are on flood alert, and SDRF and NDRF teams have been deployed to assist people stranded in waterlogged areas.
In Odisha, continuous rain and strong winds caused widespread crop loss and damage to roads and infrastructure. Landslides were reported in Ganjam and Gajapati districts, disrupting transport. Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari said initial reports indicate severe damage to both standing and ready-to-harvest crops.
The agriculture department has been asked to conduct a detailed survey to assess losses and extend necessary assistance to farmers.
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