Denizens reeling under a severe heatwave for the past few days welcomed the sudden change in weather caused by the impending cyclonic storm called Asani, which is expected to cause heavy rainfall along the Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Overcast skies and gales led to the temperature dropping in the city on Monday afternoon. Tidal waves lashed the coast near the Naval Coast Battery even as trees swayed under the impact of the winds.
Fishermen anchored their boats safely and carried their nets to higher ground. Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Veera and five Disaster Relief Teams with 20 Coast Guard personnel have been kept on standby with relief material in Visakhapatnam to meet any contingency during the cyclone. Frequent alerts are being issued to fishermen to not venture into the sea, especially those with country boats and dinghies, according to an official release.
Meanwhile, District Collector A. Mallikarjuna has issued orders to all Tahsildars, RDOs and Line Departments in the district to stay at their respective headquarters and monitor the situation and take all precautions in view of the heavy rain warning on May 10 and 11.
A control room has been opened at the Collectorate with toll free numbers 0891-2590100 and 0891-2590102. The control room will function round the clock in three shifts, with six employees working each shift. Special Tahsildar M.S. Kalavathi and M.V.K.S. Ravi would coordinate the functioning of the control rooms, which will be kept open till 8 p.m. of May 13..
Mr. Mallikarjuna directed officials of the Fisheries Department to ensure that fishermen do not go out to sea in view of the cyclone threat. He inquired about the boats which were already at sea, and directed officials to be prepared to shift people living in low-lying areas to cyclone shelters and safe places if necessary. He directed the District Panchayat Officer to inspect the cyclone shelters and asked officials of Agriculture and Horticulture Departments to issue advisories to farmers on keeping their crop safe.
Advertisement hoardings that are not strong enough to withstand gales should be removed, the Collector said, and asked R&B officials to be prepared to clear fallen trees. Measures should be taken to prevent deaths, he said, while directing the Electricity Department to ensure that power supply was restored without much delay.
Meanwhile, 19 flights to and from Visakhapatnam were cancelled on Monday.
