Eight Odisha districts declared Red Zone ahead of Cyclone 'Montha'

Bhubaneswar(By Abhishek Mohanty): Eight districts of Odisha have been placed under the Red Zone category in view of the approaching cyclone 'Montha', informed Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Sunday.

After a high-level review meeting at the office of the Special Relief Commissioner, the Minister said that Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Nabarangpur, Ganjam, Kandhamal, and Kalahandi have been identified as Red-Zone districts, where the cyclone’s impact is expected to be severe.

Districts like Khordha, Puri, Nayagarh, Bhadrak, and Jagatsinghpur may also experience significant effects, he added.

ODRAF and NDRF teams have been deployed in the vulnerable regions. In Malkangiri, three ODRAF units, one NDRF team, and eight fire service teams have already been stationed. Arrangements have also been made to ensure alternative power supply for relief centers and hospitals.

Authorities have instructed that any road blockages caused by landslides or debris must be cleared immediately to maintain smooth rescue and relief operations, Pujari added.