Hotels in Gopalpur Shut for 3 Days as Cyclone Montha Approaches

Ganjam: With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting heavy to extremely heavy rainfall under the influence of Cyclone Montha, the Ganjam district administration has ordered all hotels in Gopalpur to remain closed for three days as a precautionary measure.

In an official directive, Ganjam District Collector Keerthi Vasan instructed hotel owners and managers to cancel all visitor bookings from October 27 onward and take all necessary safety precautions for guests, staff, and property. The order warned that any violation of these instructions would invite strict action under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

According to the IMD, a depression over the Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam, near Kakinada, on the evening or night of October 28. The weather office has issued an orange warning for October 27 and a red warning for October 28 for Ganjam district, forecasting heavy to extremely heavy rainfall.

Meanwhile, the Odisha government has placed eight southern districts — Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, and Nabarangpur — under the Red Zone in view of the cyclone threat.

Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said that since the system is expected to make landfall around 200 km from Malkangiri, southern Odisha will likely face the maximum impact.

To manage 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. All district collectors have been instructed to complete evacuations from vulnerable areas by 5 PM today and take strict action against black marketing of essential commodities.