Cyclone Montha, which made landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast late Tuesday, has left three people dead, disrupted power and transport and caused heavy crop losses, though Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu says the state’s precautionary measures helped “minimise loss.”
Tragedy and damage mount as storm hits coast
The cyclone crossed the coast near Antarvedi village in Konaseema district around midnight, with gusty winds and heavy rain battering coastal Andhra and adjoining Telangana. Officials confirmed that three persons lost their lives in the state and 42 livestock deaths were also reported, as per PTI.
The CM announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹5 lakh to the families of the deceased. Standing agricultural crops across several districts were hit hard. Preliminary figures show damage to over 1.50 lakh acres, a combination of paddy and horticulture fields, with worst-hit zones including Konaseema, Bapatla and Eluru.
Major disruption to power infrastructure and transport was also reported. The state government said power was restored to all but four substations and mobilised relief operations in affected zones.
Response, relief and the outlook ahead
CM Naidu conducted an aerial survey over Bapatla, Palnadu, Krishna, Konaseema and Eluru districts and visited a relief camp at Odalarevu village in Allavaram mandal. He distributed essential supplies, 25 kg rice, other items and a cash payment of ₹3,000 per family to evacuees. He also directed the government machinery to continue efforts for another two days, and to prepare detailed damage estimates to submit to the Union government.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Montha had weakened into a deep depression as it moved inland towards Chhattisgarh via Telangana. Light to moderate rainfall is expected to persist in Andhra through Thursday, with isolated heavy showers in the north coastal region. Disaster response forces, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), remain deployed for relief, debris-clearance and infrastructure restoration.
Officials are also urging farmers to upload photos of damaged fields via online portals to hasten verification and compensation.
