How Andhra fought Cyclone Montha: Tech, fast action save lives despite Rs 5,265 cr loss

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said the state managed to greatly reduce the impact of Cyclone Montha through timely planning, technology, and teamwork.

Addressing the media in Amaravati, he explained that the state government acted swiftly after receiving cyclone alerts. Rehabilitation centres and medical camps were set up immediately to help people in affected areas.

According to preliminary estimates, the total loss stood at Rs 5,265 crore. This includes Rs 2,079 crore in agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture, and road sectors, and Rs 207 crore in power and water resources. Some paddy fields in a few districts remained waterlogged, most reservoirs were now 90% full, and groundwater levels had risen across many mandals.

Naidu said the administration used real-time, technology-driven monitoring to manage the crisis effectively. “The state successfully faced the challenge of Montha with technology-driven monitoring in real time and by adopting best practices. I had faced challenges from several cyclones, but this time the administration was successful in preventing loss of life and property, with advanced warning, alerts and data-driven decision making,” he asserted.

The Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) centre played a crucial role by coordinating efforts across departments. Using the state’s Data Lake, RTGS officials guided ground teams and ensured that power supply was restored quickly. The CM also highlighted that there was no disruption in mobile services during the storm, which helped maintain communication.

As per Naidu, around 602 drones were used to monitor the water bodies and through the dedicated Mana Mitra app, the authorities monitored the usage of drones. As many as 1.1 crore alert messages were sent to the people. The police wireless system was used for communication in cyclone-affected areas.

Naidu said Cyclone Montha should serve as a model for disaster management. He praised officials, ministers, MPs, MLAs, and local staff for working as one team. Their quick response helped prevent major loss of life and property.

“With prior planning, weeds in canals were removed to prevent submergence of crops during the cyclone. Officials cleared the uprooted trees and electric poles in real time and restored the power supply immediately. The alert mechanism helped to prevent loss to property,” he said.

RTGS Secretary Katamneni Bhaskar presented a detailed report showing how real-time data and alerts supported the state’s coordinated disaster response.