Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Tuesday evacuated 11,396 people from vulnerable areas as Cyclone ‘Montha’ moved closer to the Andhra Pradesh coast, bringing heavy rain and strong winds across southern Odisha.

The government has set a target of evacuating around 30,554 people, depending on the evolving situation. As a precautionary measure, 2,693 pregnant women have been relocated to nearby health centers for their safety.

According to the Special Relief Commissioner’s (SRC) office, the cyclone is likely to impact eight southern districts—Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, and Nabarangpur—the most.

To manage the situation, the state government has deployed 30 (Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force) ODRAF teams, 5 NDRF teams, and 123 firefighting un

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