Cyclone Montha makes landfall;Andhra, Odisha bear the brunt

 

 

 

SEVERE Cyclonic storm Montha on Tuesday crossed the coast off Andhra Pradesh, causing disruptions in the southern state, while the impact was also felt in neighbouring Odisha, where normal life was affected in 15 districts. The landfall process started around 7 pm, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, adding that the weather system in the Bay of Bengal will cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada. It will cross with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90 to 100 kmph and gusting up to 110 kmph. Under the influence of the severe cyclonic storm Montha, which means a fragrant flower in Thai, Nellore district in Andhra recorded the highest amount of rainfall on Tuesday.

 

A woman died at Makanagudem village in Konaseema district as an uprooted palmyra tree fell on her due to gales, a police official told PTI. Due to the impact of the cyclone, standing crops in as many as 38,000 hectares in Andhra Pradesh were destroyed and also horticulture crops in 1.38 lakh hectares. Nearly 76,000 people were shifted to relief camps while the government arranged 219 medical camps at various places. It also arranged 865 tonnes of animal fodder keeping the cyclone in view. The government has decided to suspend the movement of vehicles on roads in the cycloneaffected districts, including Krishna, Eluru and Kakinada from 8:30 pm tonight to 6 am on Wednesday. Emergency medical services will be exempted. Indian Railways cancelled, diverted andrescheduledmultiplecoaching trains across the Waltair Division of East Coast Railway Zone on Tuesday. Similarly, the South Central Railway (SCR) Zone cancelled 120 trains in total on Monday and Tuesday, said an official.

 

All 32 flight operating out of Visakhapatnam Airport were cancelled onTuesdayowing to the severe cyclonic storm Montha. Likewise, the Vijayawada Airportcancelled16 flights,but managed tooperate five flights. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said3,778 villageswere forecast to receive heavy rains. Trees which collapsed due toMonthacyclonewerecleared in several districts, along with sanitation work and efforts to ease rain water flow. In Odisha, Montha brought heavy rainincoastalandsoutherndistricts,causinglandslides and damaging houses besides uprooting trees, officials said. The preliminary reports of damages were received from eightsouthernOdishadistricts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Nabarangpur. Normal life, however, was affectedina total of 15districts in the region. A report from Anaka Gram Panchayat in Gajapati district saidbigboulders fell fromnearby hills, blocking roads to five villages. “The place was earlier identified as landslide landslidepronearea.Therefore,arrangementshavebeenmade for early clearance of the blockade,” said Balakrushna Mallick, a local panchayat functionary.

 

Trees were uprooted in Gunupur, Gudari and Ramnaguda areas ofRayagada district. A report from Mohana in Gajapati district said a mudwalled house collapsed due to incessant rains, injuring one person. The tin roof of a house in the area was blown away in strong winds, an official said. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi reviewed the state’spreparation for the possible impact of the storm. He said that over 2,000 cyclone shelters were set up to accommodate the affected peopleand thegovernmenthas set the “Zero Casualty” goal. The CM said 153 rescue teams (over 6,000 personnel) comprisingpersonnelofNDRF, ODRAF, and Fire Service are positionedatvulnerableplaces across the eight southern districts andresponding to thesituations. The administration has already announced theclosure of schools and anganwadicentresinninedistricts tillOctober 30. The leave of government employees has also been cancelled till October 30. The administration has also sealed all beaches to prevent tourists and local people from entering the shores, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) D K Singh said.