Cyclone ‘Montha’ nears Andhra coast, railways, NDRF, and states on high alert

Union Minister for Railways, Communications, and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday, October 28 directed railway officials to adopt all necessary precautionary measures in anticipation of the impact of Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘Montha’ along India’s east coast, especially in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Telangana.

Vaishnaw issued instructions to all officials under the East Coast Railway (ECoR) and South Central Railway (SCR) zones to remain on high alert and ensure proactive preparedness for passenger safety, efficient train regulation, and swift restoration of services post-impact.

The Minister chaired a high-level review meeting to assess readiness measures, including coordination with local administrations and disaster management authorities, and the activation of divisional war rooms across major divisions such as Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, and Guntur.

Vaishnaw further instructed the intensification of real-time monitoring of train operations to minimise passenger inconvenience and ensure quick deployment of materials, machinery, and manpower for emergency response.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Montha, over the west-central Bay of Bengal, has been moving north-northwestwards at 10 kmph and was centered at 1:30 pm on Tuesday approximately 100 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam, 180 km south-southeast of Kakinada, 270 km south-southwest of Visakhapatnam, and 500 km south-southwest of Gopalpur (Odisha).

The IMD has warned that the storm will likely cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam near Kakinada by the evening or night of October 28, packing wind speeds of 90–100 kmph, gusting up to 110 kmph.

In anticipation of the cyclone’s landfall, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has pre-deployed 25 teams across the potentially affected coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, and Puducherry. An additional 20 teams have been kept on standby at strategic locations for immediate deployment. Each team is fully equipped with boats, cutting tools, communication gear, and rescue equipment to aid in evacuation and restoration operations.

Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, accompanied by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, chaired a high-level review meeting at Lok Seva Bhavan in Bhubaneswar to assess the state’s preparedness.

Senior officials including Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, Special Relief Commissioner D.K. Singh, DGP Yogesh Bahadur Khurania, Fire Services DG Sudhanshu Sarangi, and IMD Director Manorama Mohanty attended the meeting. District Collectors from cyclone-vulnerable regions also joined the session virtually to present updates on local preparedness and coordination.

Authorities have appealed to the public to stay indoors, follow official advisories, and avoid venturing into coastal or low-lying areas until the situation stabilizes.