With Cyclone Montha forecast to make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast on Tuesday after intensifying into a severe cyclonic storm, authorities in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have ramped up preparedness, launching evacuations, stocking essential supplies, and deploying disaster response teams in vulnerable districts.

The system, which moved northwestwards at a speed of 15 kmph in the past six hours, was centred at 5.30 am over the southwest and adjoining westcentral and southeast Bay of Bengal.

It lay around 620 km south-southeast of Kakinada, 650 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam, 560 km east-southeast of Chennai, 790 km south of Gopalpur (Odisha) and 810 km west of Port Blair.

“It is likely to continue to move northwestwards during the next 12 hours and then north-northwestwards and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by October 28 morning,” the IMD said.

The storm is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada during the evening or night of October 28, packing maximum sustained wind speeds of 90–100 kmph gusting up to 110 kmph.

Odisha begins evacuations

Odisha government has begun evacuating people from low-lying and hilly regions of eight southern districts likely to be affected by the cyclone.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said 128 disaster response teams have been deployed in Malkangiri, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal and Kalahandi districts.

“The state government is well prepared to face the eventuality, and arrangements have been made in the possible impact areas. The administration will complete the process of evacuation of people from vulnerable places by 5 pm on Monday,” Pujari said.

He added that a “red warning” predicting extremely heavy rainfall and strong winds gusting up to 80 kmph has been issued for these districts, with a goal of achieving “zero casualty.”

Over 5,000 personnel, including 24 teams of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), five from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 99 Fire Service teams, have been deployed for rescue and relief operations.

Ports across Odisha have hoisted Distant Cautionary Signal No-I, and fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea until October 29.

According to the IMD, rainfall activity in Odisha will begin on Monday and intensify on October 28 and 29 as Cyclone Montha approaches landfall along the Andhra coast.

Preparations in Andhra Pradesh

The Andhra Pradesh government has drawn up a comprehensive action plan for relief operations and essential supplies ahead of the cyclone’s landfall. State Civil Supplies Minister N. Manohar said the plan covers the stock positioning of Public Distribution System (PDS) commodities, fuel inventory management, paddy procurement measures, and arrangements for food supply in relief shelters.

“The Andhra Pradesh government has prepared an action taken report detailing the pre-cyclone preparedness measures for Cyclone Montha, ensuring readiness before landfall,” Manohar said in an official release.

According to officials, food grain supply to all fair price shops in coastal areas was to be completed by October 26, and 40 per cent of stock movement in coastal districts had already been achieved.

Oil marketing companies have been directed to ensure full fuel availability, while district collectors have been asked to coordinate for uninterrupted diesel supply to telecom towers, control rooms, hospitals and cyclone shelters.

On agricultural preparedness, 1,500 rice mills have been tagged to Rythu Service Kendras (RSKs) in coastal districts to assist farmers with drying and storage of harvested paddy. Around 50,000 tarpaulins, sandbags and plastic sheets have been kept ready for crop protection, while relief materials have been stocked at mandal-level points for immediate post-cyclone distribution.

The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) has also warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall across coastal districts on October 27 and 28. “People and fishermen should not venture out as heavy rainfall is expected in coastal regions of the state,” said APSDMA Managing Director Prakhar Jain.