Cyclone Montha weakens into deep depression; Odisha spared severe damage, high alert until 31 Oct

Bhubaneswar, Odisha: Several parts of Odisha experienced light to moderate rainfall on Wednesday as severe cyclonic storm Montha weakened into a deep depression, causing landslides and damage to roads, bridges and houses in the southern districts, officials said.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari expressed relief over the cyclone’s altered trajectory, thanking Lord Jagannath for sparing the state from severe devastation.

“The change in the cyclone's trajectory spared Odisha from severe devastation. Cyclone Montha changed its course and touched land near Amalapuram instead of Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh, reducing the potential impact on Odisha. Kakinada is about 200 kilometres from Malkangiri,” Pujari told reporters after reviewing the situation.

He added that the state government had made extensive preparations in line with the IMD forecast and was ready to face any eventuality.

Replying to a query on the altered landfall, Dr Manorama Mohanty, director of the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre, said: “The cyclone's landfall has occurred within the areas of the cone of uncertainty. There has been no deviation. However, many scientific factors are there for a slight change in the trajectory of the system.”

The cone of uncertainty refers to the projected path and intensity of a storm.

IMD Revises Forecast, Issues Yellow Alert

In a revised forecast, the IMD issued a yellow alert for five southern Odisha districts – Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Kalahandi and Nabarangpur – likely to experience heavy rain. Earlier, the Met Office had predicted extremely heavy rainfall and issued a red alert.

“We have issued a 'yellow' warning (be aware) of heavy rainfall, very likely to occur at isolated places in Ganjam, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Gajapati, Kalahandi, and Nawarangpur districts,” Mohanty said.

Preparations Recall 1999 Super Cyclone

While briefing the media, Pujari recalled the 1999 super cyclone, which struck Odisha on 29 October and claimed around 10,000 lives.

“We are encountering a similar cyclone situation on 29 October 2025, but there has been no report of any human casualty so far,” he said, adding that preparedness measures were informed by the 1999 experience.

Reports of house collapses, fallen trees, landslides and road damage have emerged, affecting 33 blocks and 11 urban local bodies.

A total of 2,198 pregnant women were evacuated to safer locations, while 362 free kitchens provided cooked food to 18,762 people staying in cyclone shelters.

Pujari noted that rainfall across the state remained under 200 mm. Gosani block in Gajapati recorded the highest rainfall at around 150 mm, followed by Patrapur in Ganjam with 117.4 mm. Fifty-six other blocks received between 50 mm and 100 mm.

Wind, Power and Road Restoration

“Wind speeds were manageable. Some areas in Ganjam, Gajapati, Balasore and other districts experienced brief power outages, which were restored within hours due to pre-planning and preparations. Roads blocked by uprooted trees were also immediately cleared,” Pujari said.

He added that 33 ODRAF, 5 NDRF and 13 Fire Services teams were deployed for rescue and restoration work.

Odisha will remain on high alert until 31 October as rain warnings continue. “Damage assessment of crops, houses, roads, and other public infrastructure will begin from tomorrow,” the minister said, noting damage to paddy, cotton and vegetable crops.

Affected residents will receive assistance directly to their bank accounts, and polythene sheets have been distributed to households with damaged walls. Normalcy is expected to be restored across the state by 31 October.

Tata Power Southern Odisha Distribution Limited reported that electricity was restored to over 9.5 lakh consumers out of 9.88 lakh affected, within just 18 hours of the cyclone’s peak impact.