The Andhra Pradesh Government put its machinery on high alert and positioned NDRF and State Disaster Response Force in five districts Saturday as the deep depression in the Bay of Bengal was set to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and cross the coast between Ongole and Kakinada on Monday.
The Met office said that coastal Andhra Pradesh and north Tamil Nadu are likely to experience rainfall in the next two days with the system making landfall between Ongole and Kakinada in the neighbouring state on Monday.
A report from Amaravati, quoting State Disaster Management Authority Director Prasanna Venkatesh,said teams of National Disaster Response Force and SDRF have been positioned in the coastal districts of Guntur, Krishna, West Godavari, East Godavari and Visakhapatnam and the government machinery put on high alert. He said two teams of SDRF (80 members) and two of NDRF (60 members) have been deployed in these districts with all necessary equipment for evacuation and rescue operations.
Sixteen teams of Andhra Pradesh Disaster Response and Fire Services have been kept on reserve at Rajamahendravaram, while another nine (of five members each) have been positioned in West Godavari district for road clearance, he said.
“Additionally,four teams of NDRF personnel have been sent to East Godavari district and another kept on standby at the 10th Battalion headquarters for ready movement,” Venkatesh said.
East Godavari District Collector Kartikeya Misra declared a two-day holiday for all schools in eight coastal mandals in view of the cyclone threat.
State Chief Secretary Anil Chandra Punetha spoke to Collectors of all coastal districts and reviewed the preparedness to tackle the possible calamity.
Misra said that 50 relief camps have been opened in eight coastal mandals and four IAS officers stationed at Amalapuram to monitor the situation and take appropriate action. A report from Puducherry, quoting revenue Minister M O H F Shah Jahan,said he asked the Regional Administrative Officer of Yanam (en enclave of the union territory near Kakinda in Andhra Pradesh) D Subramaniswara Rao, to take precautionary measures in view of the cyclone.