Cyclone Montha: Odisha Prepares as 8 Southern Districts Placed Under Red Zone Alert

Cyclone Montha: Fishermen have returned to shore as fishing activities have been prohibited during the approaching cyclone.

Bhubaneswar:

On Sunday, Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari conducted a high-level meeting to assess the state's preparedness for the impending Cyclone Montha.

Speaking to the media, Minister Pujari revealed that eight southern Odisha districts - Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, and Nabarangpur - have been categorized under the Red Zone as they are expected to be most severely impacted by the cyclone.

The minister emphasized that authorities in all 30 districts of the state, regardless of their Red Zone designation, have been directed to maintain full preparedness in case the cyclonic system alters its trajectory. He noted that the deep depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal has been advancing west-northwestward at approximately 6 kilometers per hour during the past six hours.

Meteorological forecasts indicate that the system will continue its west-northwestward movement and intensify into a cyclonic storm within the next 24 hours. It is expected to further strengthen into a severe cyclonic storm before making landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, near Kakinada, during the evening or night of October 28.

Minister Pujari mentioned that Odisha's Malkangiri district is situated approximately 200 kilometers from the projected landfall location.

During Sunday's comprehensive meeting, the Revenue Minister reviewed preparedness measures with Collectors from all 30 districts, discussing pre-cyclone arrangements and response strategies. Collectors of districts not directly in the cyclone's path have been instructed to prepare additional support teams for deployment to affected areas if necessary.

"We've observed that landslides have emerged as a significant concern for Odisha following heavy rainfall events in recent months. District collectors have been instructed to identify hilly regions and areas susceptible to landslides, and implement all necessary precautionary measures," Pujari stated.

Given the landslide risk in Gajapati district, teams from the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Fire Services, and Forest Department have been preemptively deployed to the area. The government has coordinated with key departments including Energy, Health, and Water Resources to address potential power outages, ensure medicine and anti-venom availability, and prepare for possible waterlogging and rising river levels.

Fishing operations have been suspended from October 27 to 31, with fishermen already having returned to shore. In Gajapati district, residents of high-elevation areas such as Mahendragiri are being relocated to safer locations at lower altitudes.

Collectors have been directed to complete the evacuation of vulnerable populations to cyclone shelters, flood shelters, school buildings, and community centers by 5 p.m. tomorrow.

A total of 128 teams comprising ODRAF, NDRF, and Fire Services personnel have been deployed across the eight high-risk districts. District administrations have received orders to take firm action against any black marketing of essential commodities. The government has cancelled leave for all employees in cyclone-prone districts and ordered the closure of all schools as precautionary measures.