Ongole: School Education Department Secretary and Special Officer for Cyclone Montha to Prakasam district, Kona Sasidhar, has directed district officials to remain vigilant for the next three days to prevent loss of life and property as the cyclone threatens the region. During a review meeting at the Collectorate in Ongole on Sunday evening, Special Officer Sasidhar, along with district collector P Raja Babu, conducted a comprehensive assessment of preparedness measures across all departments. Officials were instructed to maintain high alert on October 27, 28, and 29, ensuring public safety with proactive precautionary measures from the village to the district level. Speaking to the media, Sasidhar confirmed the district machinery is fully prepared to face Cyclone Montha. Following the Chief Minister’s directives, senior officers have been appointed as special officers for each district. The meteorological department predicts the cyclone will cross the coast between Machilipatnam and Kakinada on the night of October 28. Authorities have confirmed that all fishermen are safe and have warned them against venturing into the sea until further notice. Eighteen coastal villages are on alert, with evacuation plans ready for vulnerable populations, particularly elderly citizens and pregnant women.

A control room with round-the-clock monitoring has been established, coordinating with agriculture, fisheries, animal husbandry, irrigation, health, panchayat raj, roads and buildings, education, and other key departments. Officials are monitoring reservoirs and tanks experiencing overflow conditions. Thedistrict administration has completed preparedness reviews covering pre-cyclone, during-cyclone, and post-cyclone action plans, ensuring immediate response capability to any incidents.