As Cyclone Montha churns menacingly over the Bay of Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha are on high alert, rushing evacuations and preparing for landfall expected on Monday night near Kakinada. The storm, packing winds of up to 110 kmph, has already unleashed heavy rain and squally winds across the coastal belt.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured Andhra Pradesh of all possible central assistance as the state battled high tides, flooding and widespread disruption.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Montha was centred about 280 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam and 410 km south of Visakhapatnam late Sunday night. The system is expected to cross the coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam as a severe cyclonic storm by this evening or night.
ANDHRA PRADESH
The storm’s outer bands have already lashed several coastal districts, disrupting normal life in Chittoor, Tirupati and Kakinada.
In Nagari constituency of Chittoor district, moderate to heavy rain has been pounding for four days. Floodwaters from the Kushasthali river cut off key roads, forcing authorities to halt traffic between Nagari town and rural areas such as Thiruttani and Pallipattu. Traffic has been diverted through alternative routes as police restricted access to riverbanks amid dangerous currents, reported news agency PTI.
Officials released 1,000 cusecs of water from the Krishnapuram reservoir as a precautionary step, while local administrations stayed on high alert.
In Kakinada district, strong winds battered the coast, with rough seas reported at Uppada. Waves advanced inland, aggravating coastal erosion and triggering panic among fishermen. Police evacuated families from Uppada, Subbampet, Mayapatnam and Suradapet as seawater surged further inland.
Tirupati’s top official said five coastal mandals spread over a 75-km coastline were likely to face intense rain and high winds. Disaster management teams have been deployed in full strength.
ODISHA
Although Montha will make landfall in Andhra, Odisha is bracing for its spillover impact. The state government has issued a red alert in eight southern districts — Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kalahandi and Kandhamal — anticipating heavy rain and gusty winds from Tuesday.
“Our target is zero casualty,” Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said while overseeing evacuations.
The government has opened 1,445 cyclone shelters and readied 140 rescue teams drawn from the NDRF, ODRAF and Fire Services. Special focus has been placed on hilly terrain in Gajapati district, where landslides are possible.
Pujari added that evacuation of 32,000 people from vulnerable low-lying areas was underway as the cyclone’s impact was expected to intensify over the next 48 hours.
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