The state government initiated precautionary measures and Chief Secretary K Vijayanand issued orders appointing special officers for all districts in the state.
Published Oct 26, 2025 | 9:32 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 26, 2025 | 4:19 PM
The satellite view of Montha cyclone on early hours of 26 October. (IMD)
Synopsis: In view of the impending Montha cyclone, the Andhra Pradesh government directed officials of several departments to take precautionary measures. The state government appointed special officers for 19 districts and entrusted them with the responsibility of coordinating relief and rehabilitation operations.
In view of the impending Montha cyclone, the Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday, 26 October, directed officials of several departments to take precautionary measures.
Revenue, Registration and Stamps Minister Anagani Satyaprasad instructed the Revenue Department officials that there is a likelihood of very heavy rainfall for the next four days. He directed them to ensure that no loss of life or property occurs due to the cyclone.
Satyaprasad emphasised that Revenue officials should coordinate with all other departments and remain available at the field level to monitor the situation closely. He also cautioned fishermen not to venture into the sea and advised the public to avoid travel, as gusty winds with speeds up to 120 kmph are expected.
The state government initiated precautionary measures on Saturday, and Chief Secretary K Vijayanand issued orders appointing special officers for all districts in the state.
As of Saturday, a low-pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal is located about 950 km southeast of Chennai and 990 km southeast of Kakinada.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), this system is likely to intensify into a deep depression over the central Bay of Bengal by 26 October and further strengthen into a severe cyclonic storm named ‘Montha’ by the morning of 28 October.
IMD said the cyclone is very likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada during the evening/night of 28 October as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph.
On Saturday, Krishna District Collector DK Balaji announced holidays for all government and private educational institutions in the district. The Collector stated that the decision has been taken as a precautionary measure to prevent any loss of life during the cyclone. Accordingly, all types of government and private schools, Gurukulam institutions, and colleges will remain closed for three days.
He further directed that students residing in hostels run by the Social Welfare, Tribal Welfare, Backward Class (BC), and Minority Welfare Departments should return to their homes by Sunday evening.
The Collector instructed the District Education Officer and officials of the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), BC, and Minority Welfare Departments to take all necessary steps to ensure the smooth implementation of these instructions at the field level.
The state medical and health department is also on alert and has instructed doctors to remain at hospitals. Medical and Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav issues directives to senior officials on precautionary measures
The minister held an emergency review through teleconference on Saturday with Principal Secretary Saurabh Gaur and other senior officials to discuss the precautionary measures to be taken by the department in view of the cyclone warnings.
During the meeting, the minister stressed the need for close coordination among officials at the village, mandal, district, and state levels based on alerts and advisories issued by the IMD. He advised officials to draw from past experiences and take advance measures in vulnerable areas.
He warned that no negligence or laxity will be tolerated at any level and directed that doctors and paramedical staff must remain stationed at their respective health centres round the clock until the situation normalises.
Principal Secretary Saurabh Gaur said that Epidemic Cells have been set up at the district and state levels to monitor ground-level situations continuously. He stated that anti-snake venom and anti-rabies vaccines have been stocked adequately. He added that details of pregnant women nearing delivery are available, and special attention is being given to their care.
Emergency Response Teams have been mobilised as part of disease control measures in the wake of the cyclone. Hospital Superintendents and senior doctors have been alerted to ensure uninterrupted medical services by utilising generators properly in the event of power disruptions.
He further said that 108 ambulances and feeder ambulances have been mapped for deployment to handle emergencies effectively.
The state government appointed special officers for 19 districts and entrusted them with the responsibility of coordinating relief and rehabilitation operations. These officers are directed to assist district administrations and ensure that help reaches every affected individual.
The government has also divided the state into three regional zones and appointed regional coordinating officers for better management. Ajay Jain, IAS, will oversee the coastal stretch from Srikakulam to Konaseema, while RP Sisodia, IAS, will be in charge of the region from West Godavari to Prakasam.
The special officers have been instructed to immediately proceed to their respective districts and, in coordination with district collectors, set up cyclone control rooms. They are to supervise interdepartmental coordination for rescue and relief measures, ensuring that aid reaches all affected people.
The orders specify that the special officers shall continue in their cyclone relief roles until completion of all rehabilitation activities, including damage assessment, compensation distribution, and restoration of normalcy.
Appointed Special Officers by Region:
North Andhra Region
Godavari Region
Krishna Region
South Andhra Region
During a teleconference held on Sunday with senior officials, the Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the preparedness measures in view of the weather department’s warning of heavy to very heavy rains and strong winds in coastal districts on October 27, 28, and 29.
He instructed officials to take all possible precautions to prevent loss of life and property as the system is likely to intensify into a severe cyclone by the morning of the 28th. Naidu said the cyclone is expected to affect areas between Machilipatnam and Kakinada, and directed officials to keep all communication systems ready to alert people continuously.
Alerts should be sent in advance to the public through SMS, social media, IVRS calls, and WhatsApp messages, he said. Mr. Naidu stressed that information from the village level to the State level must flow quickly to enable swift response and damage mitigation.
Naidu said that SDRF and NDRF teams have already been deployed in coastal districts and that predictive models and real-time data are being used for analysis. He instructed that water levels in reservoirs and irrigation projects be monitored round the clock and necessary action taken accordingly.
Naidu said that 27,000 cell towers across Andhra Pradesh have been equipped with diesel generators to ensure network continuity. He directed officials to make sure there is no disruption to electricity, telecom, and drinking water supply systems.
He instructed that coastal residents be immediately shifted to nearby cyclone shelters and rehabilitation centres. District collectors were authorised to declare holidays for educational institutions depending on the severity of the cyclone in their respective areas.
CYCLONE MONTHA – EXTREME RAINFALL WARNING FOR TG – OCTOBER 28-29, FLOOD ALERT ⚠️⚠️🌧️
Dear people of East Telangana, brace for VERY HEAVY – EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINS during October 28-29 due to Cyclone Montha hitting Central AP coast. Few places in RED marked districts will get… pic.twitter.com/a11HKj19Zz
— Telangana Weatherman (@balaji25_t) October 26, 2025
He further directed that roads, tanks, and canal bunds damaged or breached by rains be repaired immediately. Necessary equipment such as power saws, cranes, and JCBs should be made available at every sub-division level to clear fallen trees and branches. Drone technology may also be used for rescue and relief operations, he suggested.
Officials informed the CM that 11 review meetings have already been held so far on cyclone preparedness. To handle emergencies on national highways, vehicles have been stationed, and 851 JCBs and 757 cranes and power saws have been kept ready across the State.
The Chief Minister directed the Agriculture Department and RTG (Real-Time Governance) teams to work in coordination to accurately assess crop damage.
He ordered that 82 mechanised and 37 motorised boats still at sea be brought back safely to the shore. Mr. Naidu said that special officers have been appointed for each district to oversee cyclone management and that every department must work in close coordination.
Emphasising that the protection of lives, property, and public infrastructure is the foremost responsibility of the government machinery, the Chief Minister said that the administration must rise to the occasion to meet this challenge effectively.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Sumit Jha and R Pridhviraj.)
