NDRF earmarks 45 teams for cyclone Montha

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has positioned 45 teams of rescuers for undertaking relief and rescue operations in view of cyclone Montha that is largely going to batter coastal Andhra Pradesh and Odisha apart from bringing heavy rains to Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu.

Out of these, 25 teams have been pre-deployed in various states while the rest have been kept as backup, the federal contingency force said on Tuesday morning.

Ten teams have been deployed in Andhra Pradesh, six in Odisha, three each in Tamil Nadu and Telangana, two in Chhattisgarh and one in Puducherry, it said.

Twenty additional teams are kept on "standby" at strategic locations for immediate deployment, if required, the NDRF said.

Each of these teams are equipped with boats, iron and wood cutters, communication gadgets and other specialised rescue tools to carry out evacuation, relief and restoration operations, it said.

"NDRF teams are conducting public awareness campaigns and community sensitisation activities in vulnerable areas through local administration to ensure timely evacuation and adherence to safety advisories," the force said.

Cyclone Montha intensified into a severe cyclonic storm around 5.30 am on Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The NDRF said Montha is "very likely" to cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kanagaratnam around Kakinada during evening/night of October 28 as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph.