National: Union Minister for Railways, Communications, and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday, October 28, instructed railway authorities to implement all necessary precautionary measures as Severe Cyclonic Storm Montha advances towards India’s eastern coastline, posing a threat to Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Telangana.
Vaishnaw chaired a high-level review meeting to assess preparedness and directed officials of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) and South Central Railway (SCR) to remain on maximum alert. The minister emphasised passenger safety, efficient train regulation, and swift restoration of services in the aftermath of the cyclone.
He further called for close coordination with state administrations and disaster management agencies, the activation of divisional war rooms in key divisions such as Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Guntur, and the intensification of real-time monitoring of train operations to minimise passenger inconvenience. Instructions were also issued to ensure immediate mobilisation of machinery, materials, and manpower for emergency response.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Montha, currently moving north-northwestwards at a speed of 10 kmph over the west-central Bay of Bengal, was positioned around 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 in Odisha.
The IMD has forecast that the cyclone is likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam near Kakinada by the evening or night of October 28, bringing wind speeds of 90–100 kmph, gusting up to 110 kmph.
In anticipation of the storm’s landfall, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has pre-deployed 25 teams across vulnerable coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, and Puducherry, with an additional 20 teams kept on standby. Each unit is equipped with boats, cutting tools, communication systems, and rescue gear to assist in evacuation and post-cyclone recovery efforts.
Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi chaired a high-level preparedness meeting in Bhubaneswar alongside Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari. 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 session. District Collectors from coastal regions joined virtually to provide updates on local readiness.
Authorities have urged citizens to remain indoors, follow official advisories, and avoid venturing into coastal or low-lying areas until conditions improve.
