Cyclone Montha makes landfall; Andhra, Odisha bore the brunt
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Amaravati/Bhubaneswar (PTI): Severe Cyclonic storm Montha on Tuesday crossed the coast off Andhra Pradesh, causing disruptions in the southern state, while the impact was also felt in neighbouring Odisha, where normal life was affected in 15 districts.
The landfall process started around 7 pm, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, adding that the weather system in the Bay of Bengal will cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kalingapatnam around Kakinada.
It will cross with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90 to 100 kmph and gusting up to 110 kmph.
Under the influence of the severe cyclonic storm Montha, which means a fragrant flower in Thai, Nellore district in Andhra recorded the highest amount of rainfall on Tuesday.
A woman died at Makanagudem village in Konaseema district as an uprooted palmyra tree fell on her due to gales, a police official told PTI.
Due to the impact of the cyclone, standing crops in as many as 38,000 hectares in Andhra Pradesh were destroyed and also horticulture crops in 1.38 lakh hectares.
Nearly 76,000 people were shifted to relief camps while the government arranged 219 medical camps at various places. It also arranged 865 tonnes of animal fodder keeping the cyclone in view.
The government has decided to suspend the movement of vehicles on roads in the cyclone-affected districts, including Krishna, Eluru and Kakinada from 8:30 pm tonight to 6 am on Wednesday. Emergency medical services will be exempted.
Indian Railways cancelled, diverted and rescheduled multiple coaching trains across the Waltair Division of East Coast
Railway Zone on Tuesday. Similarly, the South Central Railway (SCR) Zone cancelled 120 trains in total on Monday and Tuesday, said an official.
All 32 flight operating out of Visakhapatnam Airport were cancelled on Tuesday owing to the severe cyclonic storm Montha.
Likewise, the Vijayawada Airport cancelled 16 flights, but managed to operate five flights.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said 3,778 villages were forecast to receive heavy rains.
Trees which collapsed due to Montha cyclone were cleared in several districts, along with sanitation work and efforts to ease rain water flow.
In Odisha, Montha brought heavy rain in coastal and southern districts, causing landslides and damaging houses besides uprooting trees, officials said.
The preliminary reports of damages were received from eight southern Odisha districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Nabarangpur.
Normal life, however, was affected in a total of 15 districts in the region.
A report from Anaka Gram Panchayat in Gajapati district said big boulders fell from nearby hills, blocking roads to five villages.
"The place was earlier identified as landslide landslide-prone area. Therefore, arrangements have been made for early clearance of the blockade," said Balakrushna Mallick, a local panchayat functionary.
Trees were uprooted in Gunupur, Gudari and Ramnaguda areas of Rayagada district.
A report from Mohana in Gajapati district said a mud-walled house collapsed due to incessant rains, injuring one person. The tin roof of a house in the area was blown away in strong winds, an official said.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi reviewed the state's preparation for the possible impact of the storm.
He said that over 2,000 cyclone shelters were set up to accommodate the affected people and the government has set the "Zero Casualty" goal.
The CM said 153 rescue teams (over 6,000 personnel) comprising personnel of NDRF, ODRAF, and Fire Service are positioned at vulnerable places across the eight southern districts and responding to the situations.
The administration has already announced the closure of schools and anganwadi centres in nine districts till October 30. The leave of government employees has also been cancelled till October 30.
The administration has also sealed all beaches to prevent tourists and local people from entering the shores, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) D K Singh said.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
