Rahul expresses grief over Andhra crop loss, urges relief effort

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday voiced deep concern over the widespread devastation caused by Cyclone Montha in Andhra Pradesh and urged both the state and central governments to take swift, compassionate action to aid affected communities.Expressing solidarity with the farmers who bore the brunt of the calamity, Gandhi described the loss of crops as “heartbreaking.” “It’s heartbreaking to see our farmers, who worked tirelessly for months, lose their entire crop overnight,” he said.The Congress leader added that the party’s state unit is on the ground, engaging with local communities and assessing the extent of damage. “We urge both the State and Central Governments to act immediately — the scale of devastation demands urgent and compassionate action,” he said.
According to official estimates, Cyclone Montha has damaged agricultural produce spread across 1.38 lakh hectares, inflicting losses worth Rs829 crore and affecting nearly 1.74 lakh farmers. The Andhra Pradesh government on Friday submitted a preliminary report to the Centre, pegging total losses from the cyclone at Rs5,244 crore.The cyclone, which brought torrential rains and strong winds, has severely impacted coastal and agrarian regions of the state, leaving thousands of families grappling with loss of livelihood and property. Additionally, around 4,794 km of roads, along with 311 culverts and bridges, have been damaged, leading to losses worth Rs2,794 crore. The government has initiated relief measures, including the distribution of essential items such as rice, lentils, onions, sugar, and palm oil to people in relief camps.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu credited technology-driven real-time monitoring and best practices for helping ensure people’s safety during the cyclone. He announced that the state government would provide compensation for damaged crops and financial assistance to flood-affected families. Minister Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy also assured that every farmer who suffered crop loss would receive full support and compensation from the government.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) Chief Y.S. Sharmila Reddy demanded that the Centre declare a “National Disaster” status for the farmers affected by Cyclone Montha. During her visit to Bantumilli Mandal in the Pedana constituency of Krishna District, she interacted with farmers and inspected the extensive damage firsthand.Speaking to the media, Sharmila Reddy said, “Farmers across the region have lost everything due to the cyclone, which wreaked havoc on thousands of acres of cultivated land. The destruction is visible everywhere, with crops completely flattened and livelihoods shattered.” She accused the state government of understating the extent of the damage in its official reports, calling its preliminary estimate of Rs800 crore “grossly misleading and far from reality.”
According to the Congress Party’s assessment, crop damage has occurred across nearly 20–22 lakh acres in the state, with total losses amounting to over Rs20,000 crore. Paddy alone was damaged in more than 13 lakh acres, cotton in 3 lakh acres, and groundnut and maize together in over 4 lakh acres. Sharmila Reddy said that the administration’s reluctance to acknowledge the full extent of the damage raises serious questions about its intentions, suggesting that losses might be downplayed to avoid fair compensation.
Highlighting the worsening plight of farmers, she stated that each cultivator had invested nearly ₹35,000 per acre, an amount now completely lost. She criticised the state government for failing to conduct proper ground-level surveys and for ignoring the cries of farmers desperate for support and relief.Taking aim at the Centre, Sharmila Reddy also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to acknowledge the crisis. “The Prime Minister visits Andhra Pradesh for political reasons but never speaks about the problems of its people,” she said, adding that deceiving Andhra Pradesh has become a habit for the Modi government. She further alleged that both Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan have remained silent spectators, offering tacit approval while the BJP “conveniently forgets the state’s issues once in power.”