Andhra Pradesh Coastal Districts on High Alert as Cyclone Montha Approaches With Heavy Rain, Strong Winds

Coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh were placed on high alert on Friday as a low-pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal intensifies into a cyclone, poised to unleash heavy to extremely heavy rainfall and gusty winds starting this weekend. According to the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA), the system is advancing northwestward and could develop into a depression by Saturday, a deep depression by Sunday, and a severe cyclonic storm over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal by early Monday.

Home Minister V. Anitha, chairing a high-level review with APSDMA Managing Director Prakhar Jain and Additional Director Deepak, mandated round-the-clock monitoring, timely public alerts, and the prepositioning of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams across vulnerable areas. This proactive stance draws from lessons of past cyclones like Hudhud in 2014, which devastated Visakhapatnam, emphasising evacuation drills and infrastructure resilience in a state prone to annual cyclonic threats.

The forecast predicts heavy downpours across several districts from Saturday, escalating to very heavy to extremely heavy levels on Sunday and Monday, potentially triggering flash floods, landslides, and urban waterlogging in low-lying regions. Coastal stretches face winds of 50-70 kmph, with fishermen explicitly barred from venturing into the sea to avoid perilous conditions. Residents in dilapidated or unsafe structures must relocate to designated shelters, while the public is cautioned against unverified social media rumours—relying instead on official channels via toll-free lines 112, 1070, or 18004250101 for real-time guidance. Agricultural communities, vital to Andhra's economy with its vast rice paddies and aquaculture farms, have been urged to secure livestock, harvest standing crops, and fortify storage facilities, recalling the Rs 10,000 crore losses from Cyclone Michaung last year.

Andhra Pradesh's cyclone vulnerability stems from its 974 km coastline, the second-longest in India, exposing districts like Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East and West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, and Nellore to frequent Bay of Bengal depressions—averaging four annually, per the India Meteorological Department. Climate change has amplified these events, with warmer seas fuelling rapid intensification, as seen in the 2021 Yaas cyclone that displaced over 300,000 people. APSDMA's response framework, bolstered by the 2023 National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project, includes early warning systems via SMS and apps, but gaps in rural connectivity persist, underscoring the need for community-level training and resilient housing under schemes like PMAY.

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As the system brews, Anitha's directives prioritise zero casualties through swift evacuations and relief stockpiling, with mock drills already underway in high-risk mandals. This October cyclone, unusual outside peak season, highlights evolving weather patterns, prompting calls for enhanced satellite monitoring and interstate coordination with Odisha and Tamil Nadu. For Andhra's 4.9 crore residents, particularly the 20% in coastal zones, the alert serves as a timely reminder of preparedness, blending governmental resolve with grassroots vigilance to weather the storm and rebuild stronger.

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