Cyclonic storm to hit coast today

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, NOV. 28. The Andhra Pradesh Government on Tuesday put six southern districts, including Nellore, on high alert while gearing itself to meet the cyclone challenge.

Information received by the Relief Commissioner here today indicated that the cyclone intensified itself into a very severe cyclonic storm and was moving in a west north-westerly direction, threatening to hit the coast tomorrow morning somewhere between Nellore and Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu. It lay centred at 280 km south-east off Chennai.

The other districts on alert are Chittoor, Cuddapah, Guntur, Krishna and Prakasam.

With gales sweeping Nellore district in the evening, the Government positioned five helicopters, boats and the administrative paraphernalia for relief and rescue purposes. The administration commenced evacuation of people from 28 villages along the coastline in the district lying between the Bay of Bengal and Buckingham Canal, which were ``highly vulnerable.'' Revenue staff were moving around with megaphones asking people in other coastal villages to shift to high-plane areas on their own.

Reports suggested that shifting of people was under way from many villages in other districts, especially Prakasam and Guntur. Control rooms existing at the Secretariat here and at the district headquarters were activated along with ham sets.

Army was asked to be in full preparedness. Danger- signals were hoisted at Krishnapatnam, Odarevu, the minor ports in Nellore district and Nizampatnam and Machilipatnam, the ports in Guntur and Krishna districts respectively. Messages were flashed to fishermen in villages warning them against going into the sea.

A heavy rainfall warning, valid for Wednesday- Thursday, was issued to Rayalaseema region and the districts of Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur and Krishna by the Hyderabad Meteorological Centre. Gale winds with a speed of 150-170 kmph might sweep along and off the coast at the time of the crossing of the storm. The winds might damage pucca houses and disrupt communication network and uproot trees and poles. Tidal waves might swell to a height of one metre and above, inundating the low-lying areas.

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Section  : Southern States
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