Bhubaneswar, Oct. 28 -- Heavy rains accompanied by squally winds have begun to lash the southern districts of Odisha as the Severe Cyclonic Storm 'Montha' is striding towards crossing the coast, with reports of landslides and uprooting of trees pouring in from several areas.
Though the cyclone is most likely to make landfall and cross the Andhra Pradesh coast tonight, the State Government, taking no chances, has geared up its disaster preparedness machinery in evacuating 11,396 people from vulnerable areas in eight southern districts, including Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, and Nabarangpur.
After the morning drizzle, the intensity of rain steadily increased. In some places, the rainfall was quite h...