Indian Coast Guard personnel reach out to fishermen at sea, asking them to return to the shores amid possibility of a cyclone developing over southeast Bay of Bengal. (PIB Defence via PTI Photo)Ahead of ‘severe’ Cyclone Montha’s landfall, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Monday across seven districts in coastal Andhra Pradesh, namely, Kakinada, Konaseema, West Godavari, Krishna, Bapatla, Prakasam and Nellore. The state government has declared holidays for educational institutions till Wednesday. All fishing and related activities have been temporarily suspended, and beach tourism has been closed.
Thousands of people in low-lying areas have been moved to temporary relief camps. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are on alert and ready to be deployed at short notice. Rescue and relief teams from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Indian Coast Guard, along with their ships and aircraft, have also been placed on standby.

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Earlier on Sunday, CM Chandrababu Naidu said the official machinery from the village level to the state level have been alerted and the state has prepared its ministers, collectors, SPs and all the high officials to work in coordination with all the departments. “We are taking steps to prevent loss of life and property by sending information related to the intensity of rain and the impact of the cyclone directly to the people,” he said.
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