Andhra Pradesh, November 10, 2025: The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday revised the estimate of losses caused by Cyclone Montha to ₹6,384 crore and formally sought an immediate interim relief of ₹900 crore from the central government to support recovery and rehabilitation efforts. This revision comes following the visit of an eight-member Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) that assessed the devastation across the state.

Central Assessment Team Visit

The IMCT, led by Pasumi Basu, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, and K. Ponnuswamy, Director, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, toured several districts to evaluate the impact of the cyclone on agriculture, infrastructure, housing, and other critical sectors. The team’s visit enabled the state to present a comprehensive assessment of damages far exceeding the preliminary estimates.

Earlier, Andhra Pradesh had estimated preliminary losses at ₹5,265 crore, but after detailed surveys and field inspections, the government revised the figure to ₹6,384 crore. An official statement noted, “The state has sought immediate interim assistance of ₹901.4 crore from the Centre to support urgent relief operations and reconstruction work.”

Sector-Wise Damage

Officials informed the central team that the cyclone had widespread impact across 24 districts, affecting multiple sectors:

• Agriculture and Horticulture: Crops including paddy, cotton, maize, and green gram, spread over 1.61 lakh acres, were damaged. Horticulture crops across 6,250 hectares also suffered losses.
• Fisheries: Over 3,000 hectares of fish ponds were destroyed, impacting livelihoods dependent on aquaculture.
• Housing and Education: Nearly 4,500 houses and around 1,800 schools were damaged, with many families displaced.
• Infrastructure: Roads stretching 5,000 km and 311 bridges and culverts under the Roads and Buildings department were damaged.
• Irrigation: In the irrigation sector, 3,437 minor, 2,417 major, and 2,417 medium structures were impacted.
• Urban Losses: A total of 58 urban local bodies reported extensive damage due to heavy rainfall and flooding.

The officials emphasized that immediate financial support is critical for repairing infrastructure, restoring essential services, and assisting families affected by the disaster.

Rainfall and Human Impact

Cyclone Montha struck the state between October 27 and 29, bringing 82.3 mm of rainfall, nearly nine times higher than the seasonal average. The cyclone affected 443 mandals, submerging 9,960 houses and displacing over 1.11 lakh people. Tragically, the disaster also claimed three lives.

Authorities highlighted that the extensive flooding and damage to homes, schools, and public infrastructure had created an urgent need for both immediate relief and long-term rehabilitation efforts.

Appeal for Central Assistance

The Andhra Pradesh government has urged the central authorities to extend generous financial support, noting that the damage far exceeds initial expectations. In its detailed presentation to the IMCT, the state outlined the economic, social, and infrastructural repercussions of the cyclone, highlighting the urgency of relief funding to prevent further hardship for affected communities.

The central relief is expected to fund immediate rescue and rehabilitation operations, repair damaged infrastructure, restore schools and public buildings, and support the farming and fisheries sectors, which form the backbone of the state’s rural economy.

Officials also noted that the cyclone had disrupted daily life, transportation, and essential services, making the timely disbursement of relief funds critical for restoring normalcy.

Moving Forward

With the submission of the revised damage estimate and the request for interim financial assistance, Andhra Pradesh authorities are now awaiting prompt approval from the central government. Officials stressed that continued collaboration between the state and the Centre would be essential to mitigate the impact of the disaster and expedite recovery efforts.

As recovery work begins, local authorities are coordinating relief operations across affected districts, including temporary shelters for displaced residents, rehabilitation of damaged schools, and restoration of critical irrigation and road infrastructure.

The state government’s appeal underscores the scale of destruction wrought by Cyclone Montha and highlights the importance of timely central support to ensure the resilience of communities and livelihoods across Andhra Pradesh.

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