ONGOLE: As per the IMD forecast, Prakasam district started witnessing light showers from Monday afternoon as Cyclone Montha approaches the Andhra coast. Though there was a brief break from continuous rain since Sunday evening, the weather turned cloudy again with dark clouds and low-speed winds spreading across the region.
On Monday evening, Social Welfare Minister Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy held a special video conference with Prakasam and Vizag district administrations to review cyclone preparedness.
“All key department officers should be vigilant and ensure drinking water, food, blankets, and lighting arrangements in all rehabilitation centres. Take steps to prevent communicable diseases. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is personally monitoring the situation. People should stay indoors until the danger passes,” Dola said.
Alerted by IMD and the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), the Prakasam district administration established a cyclone command control centre at the Collectorate.
District Collector P Raja Babu, Joint Collector R Gopala Krishna, and DRO B Ch Obulesu visited the centre and instructed officials to remain vigilant round the clock, coordinate across departments, and act promptly on any reports of damage.
District SP V Harshavardhan Raju said, “We have identified around 20 coastal villages and ensured all necessary safety measures. SDRF, Fire, Revenue, and Electricity teams are equipped with life jackets, ropes, cutters, dozers, JCBs, cranes, and tractors for immediate response.”
The Collector said, “According to the IMD, the cyclone’s real severity will begin by Monday night and intensify till Wednesday. People should not assume the impact is minimal. Flash flood warnings are in place for western Prakasam, and everyone must remain alert for the next 48 hours. We are focusing on coastal mandals like Singarayakonda, Tanguturu, Kothapatnam, and Naguluppalapadu.”