Chennai, 28 October (H.S.) : The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has pre-deployed a total of 22 teams to multiple coastal districts across five states as Cyclone Montha intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and rapidly approached the Andhra coast.
This immediate action is aimed at enabling quick evacuation and relief operations in the areas most vulnerable to the storm’s impact. The NDRF deployment includes ten teams in Andhra Pradesh, six in Odisha, three in Tamil Nadu, two in Chhattisgarh, and one in Puducherry, with an additional twenty teams placed on standby for rapid assistance if needed.
Updates from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirm that the severe cyclonic storm is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, near Kakinada, during the evening or night of Tuesday, October 28.
The IMD forecasts the cyclone to make landfall with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph, gusting up to 110 kmph. Coastal districts in Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha have already begun experiencing heavy rainfall, with rain also reported in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Authorities in the potentially affected states are mobilising resources to mitigate the damage. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has instructed officials to take swift and effective action to safeguard lives and minimise destruction in the coastal belts.
In Odisha, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi chaired a high-level meeting in Bhubaneswar to thoroughly review and finalise the state's preparedness. All pre-deployed NDRF teams are fully equipped with boats, cutting equipment, and communication tools to ensure an effective and organised disaster response.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary
