CM stresses round-the-clock monitoring as Cyclone Montha nears A.P. coast

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday instructed officials to take all necessary preventive and precautionary measures as Cyclone Montha approaches the Andhra Pradesh coast.

Reviewing the situation from the RTGS Command Centre on Tuesday, Mr. Naidu stressed the need for round-the-clock monitoring and utmost vigilance in all vulnerable districts.

The officials must ensure that the mistakes committed during the previous cyclones must not be repeated, he said.

Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan, Ministers Nara Lokesh, V. Anitha, P. Narayana, Anagani Satya Prasad, Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand, DGP Harish Kumar Gupta, and senior officials from various departments participated in the review meeting.

The Chief Minister directed that NDRF and SDRF teams be deployed in and around Kakinada, where the cyclone is likely to make landfall. Wind and rainfall intensity should be forecast in advance for a timely response. He emphasised the need for preparedness with emergency machinery, communication systems, and field-level coordination.

Mr. Naidu instructed the officials to alert residents in low-lying areas, obtain real-time ground reports through village and ward secretariats, and ensure immediate evacuation where necessary.

He said the government must ensure speed and efficiency in relief and rehabilitation.

He directed the officials to keep sufficient fodder ready for livestock and to deploy drones to identify flood-hit areas, uprooted trees, and damaged power lines for prompt restoration.

Mr. Pawan Kalyan directed the officials to ensure that fallen trees, electric poles, and road damage do not obstruct village connectivity. 

Minister Nara Lokesh briefed the Chief Minister that all district Collectors, SPs, and field officers were actively coordinating on the ground to manage the situation.

Officials briefed the Chief Minister that the cyclone is moving closer to land and is expected to make landfall south of Kakinada around midnight. Heavy rains accompanied by strong winds have already begun lashing Kakinada, Machilipatnam, Visakhapatnam, and other coastal regions.

Officials informed that heavy rainfall was recorded across Visakhapatnam, Konaseema, Srikakulam, Anakapalli, West Godavari, and Nellore districts in the past 24 hours. Alerts about heavy rain warnings were sent to 1.92 crore people through mobile messages.

As a precautionary measure, 2,703 generators have been deployed and essential commodities stocked at the village secretariats. The Police Department also established a wireless network with 81 towers to maintain uninterrupted communication during emergencies. 

Earthmovers  and other heavy machinery are being tracked through an app to monitor field operations. 

Officials reported that nearly 43,000 hectares of crops were inundated in Konaseema, Prakasam, Nandyal, Kadapa, and East Godavari districts. The Chief Minister asked the Agriculture Department to update the mobile app, allowing farmers to directly report crop damage.

With Rayalaseema receiving no rainfall, the Chief Minister instructed the Water Resources Department to store inflows from the Krishna river in local tanks and ensure that water does not go waste.