Collector Shanmohan Orders Officials to Ensure Zero Casualties During Cyclone Montha

Collector Shanmohan Orders Officials to Ensure Zero Casualties During Cyclone ‘Montha’

Kakinada, October 27, 2025:District Collector Shanmohan Sagili has directed officials to ensure that not a single life is lost in Kakinada district due to Cyclone ‘Montha’. Accompanied by Special Officer for Cyclone Management and Panchayat Raj Department Principal Secretary Krishna Teja, and District SP Bindu Madhav, the Collector conducted an inspection in U. Kothapalli mandal on Monday to assess preparedness.

The team visited coastal areas and low-lying villages, advising residents to immediately shift to rehabilitation centres. The Collector emphasized that the cyclone could bring heavy rainfall and strong winds across the district, not just in coastal regions, and urged both citizens and officials to remain alert. He instructed all departments—Revenue, Panchayat Raj, and Police—to work in close coordination to prevent any loss of life.

He directed all officers and staff to stay available at their respective headquarters and to act promptly based on real-time updates about the cyclone’s intensity. The Collector also instructed officials to ensure safe drinking water supply, deploying tankers wherever needed, and to prevent contamination.

He ordered the immediate evacuation of residents living in thatched huts and vulnerable houses, stressing that no one should be left behind. Roads blocked by fallen trees or electric poles should be cleared immediately to restore movement and power supply. Necessary equipment, including cranes and electrical tools, has been kept ready, he said.

The Collector also reviewed arrangements for pregnant women, the elderly, and nursing mothers, expressing satisfaction that they had been safely shifted to hospitals. Addressing the media, Shanmohan Sagili said that heavy rains are expected in the district from October 27 to 29, with the cyclone expected to make landfall on the 28th, accompanied by strong winds and torrential rainfall.

He said that the district administration has been placed on high alert from the village level to the district level. A total of 269 rehabilitation centres have been identified and readied. Officials have been visiting households in low-lying areas, riverbanks, and weakly built homes to create awareness about safety precautions during the storm.

All educational institutions in the district will remain closed from October 27 to 29. The Collector appealed to the public to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel. Residents of thatched or weak houses have been urged to voluntarily move to government-established shelters, where adequate food, drinking water, and basic amenities have been arranged.

NDRF and SDRF teams have already been deployed across the district to assist in rescue and relief operations, he added.

Officials from various government departments accompanied the Collector during the visit.