As the severe cyclonic storm Phailin over East Central Bay of Bengal was heading menacingly towards the eastern Indian coastal States of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, the administration had started evacuating the people from vulnerable areas in both the States.
After Defence Minister AK Antony asked the Army to be ready to help the two States in dealing with the calamity, Andhra Pradesh Revenue Minister N Raghuveera Reddy told the reporters in Hyderabad that 64,000 people were being evacuated from the low-lying areas of three districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhpatanam. “We have asked the District Collectors to complete the process of evacuation by Friday evening,” he said.
The cyclonic storm, which further intensified was likely to have a landfall near Gopalapur between Paradip and Kalingapatanam in Odisha with a wind speed of 210 kmph on Saturday night, Indian Meteorological Department said. Srikakulam district, adjoining Odisha was likely to be among the worst hit in coastal Andhra.
“Cyclone will be as severe as the Super Cyclone of 1996 which had hit the Andhra coast,” said Raghuveera Reddy after a review meeting with the officials. The departments of Disaster Management, police and the weather officer were working in a close coordination. “We have also requested the Army and the Navy to be ready to help us,” he added. The people being evacuated include 20,000 from Srikakulam district (adjacent to Odisha), 4,000 from Vijayanagaram and 40,000 from Visakhapatanam.
The district level officials of the Revenue department and other concerned departments were already in the field. “I am appealing to the people to fully cooperate in minimising the losses. We can not stop the cyclone but we can minimise the damages,” he said. The relief preparations were expected to pick up pace with the Government employees likely to end their two months long strike against the plans to divide the State.
“Cyclones are not new for us. In the history of last 124 years, the State was hit by cyclones 74 times, 30 of them in October. There is no need for the people to fear. Every thing will be taken care of. I appeal to them to follow the Government instructions and act accordingly,” he said. Andhra Pradesh, with a 1000-km long coast, has 850 operational cyclone shelters and another 200 were in dilapidated condition. “We have almost one shelter at a distance of one km,” the Minister said.
Indian Navy and Army were also on the stand by. “We will also use the police communication network as a backup if the civilian communication network fails,” the Minister said. Teams of National Disaster Rescue Force had also reached the area, he said. Heavy rains have started lashing the coastal Andhra districts since Thursday evening and sea had conditions had also become rough. Weather officer has warned that coastal Andhra will record heavy to very heavy rain with rainfall of more than 25 cms at some places.