The Aryavarth Express
New Delhi [India]: Andhra Pradesh Ministers Nara Lokesh (Education, IT & Electronics) and Anita (Home) met Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in New Delhi on Tuesday to seek central assistance after Cyclone Montha caused severe agricultural devastation across the state.
According to an official release, the ministers briefed the Union Minister on the cyclone’s impact. The storm, which struck on October 28 and 29, brought intense winds, heavy rainfall and widespread flooding, severely affecting villages, rural infrastructure and farmland.
Massive agricultural impact
The state’s preliminary assessment shows that the cyclone affected 3,109 villages across 443 mandals in 24 districts, disrupting the lives of nearly 9.53 lakh people. Prolonged waterlogging in coastal and delta regions destroyed standing crops across 1.61 lakh hectares, including paddy, maize, cotton, groundnut, red gram and various millets.
Overall crop loss has been estimated at 4.36 lakh metric tonnes, impacting 3.27 lakh farmers. Irrigation systems and rural access were also hit hard, with tanks, canals and bund roads suffering extensive damage.
Heavy losses in horticulture
The ministers informed the Union Minister that the horticulture sector had also been severely affected. About 6,250 hectares, more than 33% of the horticulture area, under crops such as banana, papaya, coconut, turmeric, chillies, vegetables and flowers were damaged.
Support structures in plantations collapsed under the storm’s force, while nurseries, shade nets, farm ponds, storage units and minor irrigation facilities also sustained major losses.
State’s immediate response
Lokesh highlighted that the state government responded quickly by evacuating vulnerable families, setting up relief camps and deploying SDRF/NDRF teams. Rapid loss assessments were carried out across departments, helping prevent loss of life and enabling continuous assistance to affected communities.
The ministers urged the Centre to extend financial and logistical support to help the state recover from the extensive agricultural and horticultural losses caused by Cyclone Montha.
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