The State government has geared up its administrative machinery to face the likely onslaught of cyclone Phethai which is approaching menacingly towards the coast from the south-central Bay of Bengal where it was centred on Saturday evening.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu spoke to officials of Real-Time Governance Society (RTGS) at the Secretariat and instructed them to keep a close watch on its movement and severity.
Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan spoke to the Chief Minister on phone and suggested that necessary action be taken to prevent the loss of life and mitigate the damage to properties.
Phethai, according to a bulletin issued by the RTGS, was located nearly 620 km from Chennai and was moving in the north-northwest direction at a speed of 15 kmph and was headed towards north coastal A.P. It is expected to make the landfall between East Godavari and Visakhapatnam by December 17 evening.
Chief Secretary Anil Chandra Punetha is in touch with officials in the districts to deal with the emerging situation. He alerted all the Collectors along with officials of the revenue, fire, agriculture, electricity, animal husbandry and school education and other departments concerned.
Extensive rainfall likely
RTGS CEO Babu. A. informed the Chief Minister that the RTGS’s Weather Forecasting and Early Warning Research Centre was keeping track of the cyclone and escalating its prognostic impact. He said extensive rainfall was likely from Krishna to Srikakulam districts on December 16 and 17 and the wind speed might touch 100 kmph at the time of the cyclone crossing the coast. All the fishermen who ventured into the sea are returning to the shore and 13 vessels from E.G and Prakasam districts are on the sea. RTGS and Department of Fisheries were trying to bring them to safety. Personnel of the national and state disaster response forces were readied for deployment to meet any contingency.
People have been advised to call the toll free number 1100 at Parishkara Vedika for any help.
Meanwhile, Principal Secretary (Energy) Ajay Jain, AP-Transco CMD K. Vijayanand and the chiefs of DISCOMs called for precautionary measures to reduce the impact of cyclone. They exhorted operations and maintenance staff and officers to draw upon the experience of the trail of destruction left by Titli.
NDRF teams
Sixteen teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 10th Battalion, would be deployed to take up rescue and rehabilitation operations.
Battalion Commandant Zahid Khan said teams would be sent to Narsapuram in West Godavari district, Yanam, Rajamahendravaram, Krishna and Visakhapatnam.
“NDRF is in touch with the District Collectors and other officials of Krishna, East and West Godavari, Guntur and Nellore districts and is observing the cyclone movement from time to time. Already, some teams have been positioned in the coastal districts”, Mr. Khan said.
The teams under the supervision of Second-in-Commandant Santosh Kumar will coordinate with the district authorities and help them in taking up rescue operations and prevent human and animal loss.
