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Cyclone Montha, which crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast post Tuesday midnight, claimed two lives, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has said, adding that more than 1.8 lakh people were evacuated to 2,200 relief camps to minimise the loss of life. Mr. Naidu took stock of the cyclone impact in Odalarevu of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema district, Bapatla and Machilipatnam during an aerial survey on Wednesday. “Our strategy of evacuating people from the vulnerable areas helped check loss of life and property. Past experiences of dealing with natural calamities and technology helped us design a robust preparedness plan,” Mr. Naidu told the media at a relief camp at Odalarevu. Pointing out that Prakasam and Nellore districts bore the brunt of heavy rains, the Chief Minister said that damage to crops and assets has been reported in every coastal district. The loss is being enumerated. Referring to compensation to the cyclone victims, Mr. Naidu said that the fisherfolk who failed to undertake fishing activities and handloom weavers would be given 50 kgs of rice, apart from essential commodities. They will also be paid ₹3,000 per family. The other affected people will get 25 kgs of rice. Later in the day, the Chief Minister inspected damaged paddy and horticultural crops in Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Konaseema district.
