Special teams comprising revenue and fisheries department officials have been deployed along the low-lying areas on the coastline in Krishna district to monitor the situation in the wake of Cyclone Phailin making landfall on Saturday evening near Kalingapatnam.
“Most of the boats operating along the coastline were anchored by Friday morning, but 24 mechanised boats are yet to reach shore near Edurumondi lighthouse in the Bay of Bengal,” Fisheries Department Deputy Director T. Lavanyam told The Hindu. The fishermen from Nagayalanka and Avanigadda did not bother about the warning and ventured into the sea for fishing.
No guidelines
Krishna District Revenue Officer L. Vijaya Chander said that there was no need to evacuate the people in low-lying areas – Nagayalanka, Machilipatnam, Bantumilli and Kruthivennu.
“No guidelines were received from the State Government to evacuate people in Krishna district as the cyclone is likely to hit North Andhra Pradesh,” he added.
Toll-free number
Control rooms were set up in the Tahisildar offices along the costal mandals. Grievances or any help during the cyclone can be received by calling the toll-free number ‘1700’ and Collector’s Office Control Room number 08672 -252572.
Alert
The Revenue Department issued a flood alert in Vijayawada division as the cyclone surged menacingly towards the coast threatening to bring heavy rain in the next couple of days.
The situation was assessed on Friday by Sub-Collector D. Harichandana in a meeting with the officers and staff concerned. The APNGOs suspended their agitation against bifurcation of the State keeping in view the safety of people living on the banks of river Krishna and island villages.
Control room
A control room with phone number 0866-2576217 has been set up in the Sub-Collector’s office to deal with any contingency.
Weather in 15 mandals including Vijayawada city has been cold and the sky cloudy since morning and heavy rain is forecast for Saturday when ‘Phailin’ is expected to cross the Odisha coast by evening. Speaking to The Hindu, Ms. Harichandana said that there was no immediate threat but the situation could rapidly change for the worse.
Necessary steps were being taken to move people from low-lying areas to safety due to the imminent threat of flooding.
The Sub-Collector has been in touch with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) contingent permanently stationed in Vijayawada.
