Vijayawada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has released Rs 2 crore each as emergency fund for relief works in three cyclone-hit districts – Nellore, Chittoor and Prakasam – and Rs 1 crore each for other affected districts.
Naidu, currently in Dubai to attract investments, reviewed the cyclone situation through a tele-conference with state ministers and district officials and also rain-hit areas on Thursday. He called for proper coordination among various departments to mitigate the impact of the storm.
He interacted with ministers, the Chief Secretary, district collectors and RTGS officials of rain-hit districts including Nellore, Prakasam, Kadapa, Tirupati and Annamayya.
The CM directed the administration to remain on high alert in view of the deep depression over the region and take all precautionary measures to prevent inconvenience to the public.
“There should be no loss of life or property,” he said and asked the revenue, disaster management, police, irrigation, municipal, roads and buildings, and electricity departments to work in close coordination.
Naidu asked officials to evacuate residents from low-lying, inundated areas to safer locations and ensure that food and milk are supplied to children and families at relief camps.
District collectors informed the CM that control rooms have been set up in coastal and Rayalaseema districts. Officials must strengthen the bunds of canals and tanks to prevent breaches and hold medical camps to check the spread of infectious diseases.
The CM directed the energy department to ensure uninterrupted power supply and advised the agriculture department to take measures to prevent crop damage. Steps should be taken to channel floodwaters from upper regions into tanks to store the inflows effectively.
District collectors are monitoring the situation and initiating requisite measures as heavy rains lashed AP since Wednesday. Collectors informed the CM that they arranged special control rooms to help the needy. The helpline numbers are: Guntur: 0863-2234014; Nellore: 0861-2331261, 7995576699; Chittoor: 08572-242777,9491077325; Kakinada: 0884-2356801; Bapatla: 0864-3220226 and Kadapa: 08562-246344.
The state disaster management authority is also taking up timely monitoring of weather and issuing forecast on the moderate rains in Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions and also about heavy rains in Tirupati, Chittoor, Kurnool, Kadapa, Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla, Guntur and Palnadu districts.
Based on directions from the CM, home minister Vangalapudi Anitha, water resources minister Nimmala Ramanaidu and senior officials held a teleconference with district collectors and officials from the revenue and water resources departments.
APSDMA managing director Prakhar Jain said that in the wake of possible fresh formation of a low pressure area over southeastern and adjoining east central Bay of Bengal on Friday, heavy rains were forecast in the next four to five days in parts of AP, with winds gusting up to 35-55kmph.
Home minister Anitha directed the district collectors to ensure there is no loss of life and deploy officials from revenue, water resources, rural water supply and energy at mandal-level control rooms to resolve any issues that come up due to rains and impending cyclonic storm.
She said officials must be on high alert throughout the week. They must evacuate the people to rehabilitation centres from low-lying areas in advance.
Water resources minister Rama Naidu called for round-the-clock monitoring of water bodies including reservoirs, tanks, barrages and streams to keep track of the inflow and outflow of water on an hourly basis and alert the people living in low-lying areas in case of any release of water.
Also, keep sand bags, motors, boats and generators and other emergency equipment ready for use, he asked the officials.
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