Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced on Wednesday that two people had died in the state due to the severe cyclonic storm Montha, noting that precautionary measures had successfully minimised the loss of life.
The Chief Minister called on the entire government machinery to continue their efforts for another two days to provide greater relief to those affected by the cyclone. "If we work in the same way for another two days, we can give much relief to people. Due to the cyclone, two persons died," Naidu said in an official press release.
The Chief Minister directed officials to restore normalcy as quickly as possible, instructing ministers and officials to visit the affected areas and enquire if residents were facing any problems.
He further directed officials to estimate the damage caused by the cyclone across various departments so that the information could be furnished to the Union government. Likewise, he instructed them to distribute essential items, such as food, to the victims.
Naidu appreciated the efforts of the SDRF (State Disaster Response Force), police, and fire officials, especially for clearing uprooted trees and snapped electric lines on a war footing. To restore damaged electricity infrastructure, Naidu confirmed that 10,000 people had been kept on standby, promising that normalcy would be reinstated by Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister embarked on an aerial tour of the cyclone-affected places. He is expected to tour Bapatla, Palnadu, Krishna, Konaseema, and Eluru districts, the release stated. Later, Naidu is scheduled to land at Allavaram mandal in Konaseema district to proceed by road and inspect flooded fields.
The impact of cyclone has caused severe disruption and damage at the renowned Srisailam Mahakshetra, a sacred pilgrimage site in Andhra Pradesh. But a potential major tragedy was narrowly averted thanks to the late-night timing of the landslide.
The holy site, located in the Nandyal district of Andhra, has been reeling under continuous, heavy rainfall for the past 24 hours, bringing normal life to a standstill, especially in the Srisailam mandal.
Devotees visiting the Srisailam temple have been advised to stay confined to their accommodation due to the torrential conditions.
The most alarming incident occurred near the sacred Patalaganga steps, a major access point for pilgrims. Continuous downpour caused significant landslides, resulting in the collapse and destruction of three local shops.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the “severe cyclonic storm" has now weakened into a cyclonic storm.
With a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100kmph gusting to 110 kmph, Cyclone Montha is likely to bring “extremely” heavy rainfall in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Telangana.
Its impact will not be limited to these states as rainfall continues in Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Also read: Cyclone Montha weakens after AP landfall; 1 dead
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