With severe cyclonic storm leher raging towards its coast, Andhra Pradesh Government has sought more assistance from the Central Government in dealing with third cyclone in less than one and a half months.
As the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that leher packed with more devastating punch than 1996 cyclone, the State Government has requested the Centre to send 15 more team of National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) and also asked the Navy and the Air Froce to be on the standby. The State Government has also written to the Centre to provide helicopters to be stationed at Visakhapatanam. They will be deployed wherever necessary.
The administration was put on alert in all the coastal districts. State disaster management commissioner C Parthasarathi said that the 15 NDRF teams were in addition to the 15 teams which were already deployed in the State. The State Government requested the Centre for four helicopters to be kept ready at Visakhapatanam for the rescue and relief operations.
Senior IAS officers were sent to the coastal districts as special officers to monitor the situation and help the District Collectors in dealing with the contingency situation. A round-the-clock control room was already working in Hyderabad. Similar control rooms were also set up in all the coastal districts.
The State Government as taking extra precautionary measures this time as it had come under criticism for laxity in dealing with cyclone Helen which hit the coast at Machlipatnam on Friday last claiming six lives.Cyclone Warning Centre, Visakhapatanam said that leher over southeast Bay of Bengal was lying 1030 kms south east of Machlipatanam and 900 kms south east of Kalingapatanam and it was moving in west-northwesterly direction.
The severe cyclonic storm was likely to cross the coast near Kakinada on Thursday. Weather officials said that coastal Andhra will start feeling the impact of the cyclone from Wednesday with gale of 45 to 65 kms per hour along the coast. The region will start receiving heavy rain from Wednesday night. Gale will reach a speed of 170 to 200 kms per hour at the time of the system crossing the coast. Subsequently the cyclone will weaken over Chhattisgarh.
In East Godavari district, which lies in the direct path of the storm, the administration was gearing up for a possible major disaster. District Collector Neetu Prasad said that the cyclone had potential to cause more damage than the cyclone of 1996.
In a precautionary move the administration had ordered the schools and colleges, business establishments and shops to to remain closed on November 27 and 28. The road and rail traffic will also be stopped, she said.Danger Signal No. 2 was hoisted on all the ports along the Andhra coast.Private business and commercial establishments road and rail traffic will also be closed in the district on the day.
Severe cyclonic storm leher was stable in southeast Bay of Bengal it lay centered 1030 kms south east of Machlipatanam and 900 kms south east of Kalingapatanam. It was likely to cross the coast on Thursday near Kakinada, says CWCIt was moving in west-northwesterly direction.Coastal Andhra will start feeling the impact of the cyclone from Wednesday with gale winds of 45 to 65 kms along the coast and heavy rains. The region will experience gale of 170 to 200 kms per hour at the time of the cyclone crossing the coast.