Khordha Schools, Anganwadi Centres Closed for Two Days Amid Cyclone Montha Alert

Bhubaneswar: In view of the heavy rainfall warning issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) due to Cyclone Montha, the Khordha district administration has declared a two-day holiday for all schools and Anganwadi centres.

As per the official order, the institutions will remain closed on October 28 and 29, 2025, as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of children and staff.

According to the IMD, a depression over the Bay of Bengal is likely to move northwestwards and cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, near Kakinada, on the evening or night of October 28 as a severe cyclonic storm.

The weather department has issued an orange warning for October 27 and a red warning for October 28 for Ganjam district, forecasting heavy to extremely heavy rainfall.

Earlier in the day, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said that eight southern Odisha districts — Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, and Nabarangpur — have been placed under the Red Zone as the cyclone is likely to make landfall around 200 km from Malkangiri.

To tackle the situation, 128 teams from the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and Fire Services have been deployed across the eight districts for rescue and relief operations. District Collectors have been directed to complete evacuations from vulnerable areas by 5 PM and take strict action against black marketing of essential commodities.