Cyclone Montha: Red Alert In Ganjam, Hotels In Gopalpur Ordered To Shut For 3 Days

Ganjam: The Ganjam district administration has ordered the immediate closure of all hotels in the coastal town of Gopalpur for a period of three days, keeping in view the impending landfall of Cyclone Montha.

In an official directive issued on Sunday, Ganjam Collector Keerthi Vasan instructed hotel owners to cancel all bookings from October 27 onwards and ensure strict safety protocols for guests, staff and property. “Any violation of these instructions will invite action under the Disaster Management Act, 2005,” the order warned.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the system over the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, near Kakinada, on the evening or night of October 28.

The IMD has placed Ganjam under an orange alert for October 27 and a red alert for October 28, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall followed by extremely heavy downpour in several parts of the district.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said eight southern Odisha districts, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Nabarangpur, have been classified under the Red Zone. “Since the system is expected to make landfall about 200 km from Malkangiri, southern Odisha will likely experience the most severe impact,” Pujari said.

To manage possible emergencies, 128 teams from the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Fire Services have been deployed across the affected districts. District Collectors have been instructed to complete evacuation from all vulnerable areas by 5 pm today and to curb any black marketing of essential commodities.