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Vijayawada: Red alerts have been issued as about 40 lakh people across Kakinada, Konaseema, West Godavari, Krishna, Bapatla, Prakasam, and Nellore districts are likely to be affected by Cyclone Montha.Stating this here on Tuesday, ministers Nara Lokesh and Vangalapudi Anitha said information was being continually shared with the Prime Minister’s Office. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu monitored the situation every two hour from the command control centre at the secretariat. So far, 13.28 lakh villagers have been shifted from 1,328 low-lying habitations to safer places, including 3,465 pregnant women, who are being provided with nutritional support and essentials. A total of 1,906 temporary shelters have been set up and sanitation materials like bleaching powder and lime supplied, the ministers said.A holiday has been declared for 14,798 schools, converting 364 into relief centres. Fishing along the coast has been banned till Oct 29. For rescue and relief work, 11 NDRF, 12 SDRF and reserve teams are on standby. The Army is on standby in Hyderabad to move in if required.Around 145 wood-cutting teams have been deployed, and 325 health camps and 876 rapid response medical teams are ready.Lokesh asked public representatives to ensure all precautionary measures are in place as the situation could worsen. MLAs, he said, could contact him directly, and they must stay accessible to the people during the crisis. He said party leaders, representatives and activists would carry out relief and rehabilitation operations wherever needed.The state government’s top priority, he stressed, is to ensure zero loss of life. The disaster management and RTGS wings have been working round-the-clock for the past 24 hours.The chief minister conducted 12 review meetings, teleconferences and video interactions since October 23, including from the UAE. Prime Minister Modi spoke with Naidu and promised full cooperation from the Centre.For post-cyclone restoration, 11,347 electric poles, 1,210 transformers, and 772 restoration teams have been kept ready.Lokesh said, “The roads and bridges department positioned 7,289 JCBs, cranes, and vehicles for clearing roadblocks, while 1,037 diesel generators and telecom backup systems have been arranged to ensure uninterrupted communication.The RTGS control room will monitor real-time developments through an “Aware” platform, integrating disaster management, relief, and rehabilitation systems. Satellite maps, drone surveillance, and low-level flying vehicles will assess damage as soon as the cyclone subsides.
