Vijayawada:The Andhra Pradesh government has sounded a high alert to meet exigencies due to heavy rainfall with high velocity gales and the resultant flash floods under the influence of deep depression.
At Chinthalapadu village of Tiruvuru mandal in NTR district, heavy gales damaged some houses. Metal sheets used as roofs were blown off while several electric poles and trees uprooted, causing panic among the villagers. Five villagers suffered minor injuries and they were shifted to the local hospital for treatment.
Energy minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar directed the AP Transco and all the Discoms to remain on high alert round the clock and take all necessary measures to ensure uninterrupted power supply across the state. He held a review meeting on Wednesday on the preparedness and operational status of the state power sector at the secretariat, with special chief secretary for energy K. Vijayanand and others.
Ravi Kumar issued directions to keep adequate manpower,equipment, machinery and materials positioned at strategic locations in advance and to mobilise restoration teams immediately wherever required to ensure power supply is restored at the earliest in the event of any disruption. He advised them to keep a watch on feeder-wise breakdowns, restoration works and load conditions.
The minister directed the AP Genco to keep adequate stocks of coal at all Genco thermal power plants to facilitate uninterrupted power generation and asked its officials to ensure uninterrupted power supply to domestic, commercial and industrial consumers and to procure power from external sources at the lowest possible cost based on prevailing demand.
As many as 3,599 personnel were mobilised in the north coastal region.
Health minister Satya Kumar Yadav directed the officials to keep medical teams, medicines, diagnostic equipment and ambulances ready and called for taking measures to avoid rise in cases of fevers and gastroenteritis due to rains and floods. Officials, he said, must ensure potable water supply, distribute chlorine tablets to chlorinate water, ensure supply of food and milk and take steps to avoid stagnation of water and mosquito menace.
Yadav laid emphasis on keeping generators in the hospitals in case of any disruption in power supply and to pay more attention to the pregnant women in an advanced stage of pregnancy, children below five years and the aged.
Health commissioner Chakradhar Babu said that leaves for the doctors and the health staff have been cancelled.
Meanwhile, districts like East Godavari and Kakinada have announced a holiday for educational institutions on Thursday in the wake of heavy rainfall.
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