Indian Army on High Alert as Cyclone Montha Brews Over East and West Coasts

New Delhi: The Indian Army has been placed on high alert as twin weather systems developing over the East Central Arabian Sea and the Southeast Bay of Bengal are expected to intensify into Cyclone Montha within the next 48 hours, officials said on Sunday.

According to official sources, the Army is working in close coordination with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the India Meteorological Department (IMD), and coastal state administrations to ensure rapid response and operational readiness.

As of early Sunday, a depression over the East Central Arabian Sea was located about 700 km west-southwest of Mumbai and 760 km west of Panjim, with forecasts indicating a westward movement over the next 24 hours.

Simultaneously, a deep depression over the Southeast Bay of Bengal, situated roughly 610 km west of Port Blair and 790 km east-southeast of Chennai, is expected to strengthen into a cyclonic storm and later into a severe cyclonic storm by October 28.

Meteorological projections indicate that Cyclone Montha may make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast, particularly between Machilipatnam and Kakinada, on the evening or night of October 28, bringing wind speeds of 90–100 kmph, gusting up to 110 kmph.
Coastal Odisha and northern Tamil Nadu are also likely to experience heavy rainfall and strong winds during this period.

In anticipation, the Indian Army has activated multiple Disaster Response Columns (DRCs) across potentially affected regions. Deployment details include:

• Karnataka: 8 active and 9 reserve columns

• Kerala: 6 active and 7 reserve columns

• Andhra Pradesh & Telangana: 10 active and 7 reserve columns

• Tamil Nadu: 7 active and 8 reserve columns

• West Bengal: 7 columns

• Lakshadweep & Minicoy Islands: 1 active and 1 reserve column

Army control rooms are maintaining 24x7 coordination with NDMA, IMD, and state authorities to facilitate swift evacuation, relief, and rescue operations as required.

“The Indian Army remains fully prepared to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) to citizens in any eventuality arising from Cyclone Montha,” an official said.

With inputs from IANS