The deep depression in the Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm named ‘Nilam’ on Tuesday. It approached the coast sluggishly moving at a speed of 45-55 km per hour with the possibility of making the landfall on Wednesday evening or later.
‘Nilam’ lay centred 450 km south-southeast of Chennai. In its latest bulletin, India Meteorological Department (IMD) pinpointed that it might cross the coast between Nellore and Nagapattinam with intensity and its impact would be maximum in northern Tamil Nadu region.
Revenue Minister N. Raghuveera Reddy said the State government received feedback from the IMD to the effect that the impact in South Coastal Andhra was unlikely to be severe as feared. However, the government, in abundant precaution, kept five districts — Nellore, Chittoor, Prakasam, Guntur and Krishna, on high alert. As a heavy rainfall warning has been issued to these districts, the administration in the areas, down to tahsildar level, has been kept on toes, he said.
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Mr. Reddy held video-conference with the Collectors of the districts to ensure proper preparedness by the local administration, asking them to be ready for a mass evacuation if the situation so warranted before the Nilam crossing the coast.
Fishermen of all districts lying along the 960-km long coast from Srikakulam to Nellore have been asked not to go into the sea for any purpose as the sea was expected to be rough with high tidal waves. The third warning signals have been hoisted at the ports of Visakhapatnam, Kalingapatnam, Kakinada, Machilipatnam, Nizampatnam, Krishnapatnam and Vodarevu. Meanwhile, the weather, by and large, remained dry in the State, with the exception of Atmakur (Nellore district) and Avanigadda (Krishna) which received rainfall of 1 cm each.
AftershocksADVERTISEMENT
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The IMD bulletin also said there would be aftershocks of the Monday’s earthquake in Prakasam, Guntur, Krishna, Khammam, Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy districts on Wednesday.