Bhubaneswar, Oct. 29 -- Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari on Wednesday stated that 33 blocks and 11 urban areas across the state were affected by Cyclone Montha, which brushed past the Odisha coast following its landfall on Tuesday night.

During a press conference this afternoon, Minister Pujari informed that the Odisha government had made elaborate arrangements and undertaken massive precautionary measures that included evacuating over 19,000 people.

"Odisha had begun active preparedness on a war footing almost immediately after the IMD informed of an impending cyclone. Over 19,000 people, including 2,198 pregnant women, were shifted to safer locations as part of the large-scale evacuation efforts ahead of t...