Officials on high alert over cyclone

Nellore: Indian Metrological Department (IMD) forecast over the likelihood of cyclone Helen hitting the coast near Kavali sent the officials of the district into high alert mode here on Wednesday.

The system would further intensify into a severe cyclonic storm during next 24 hours and cross south Andhra Pradesh coast between Sriharikota and Ongole, close to Kavali around night of November 21.

Higher officials of the district summoned all the special officers of the 12 coastal mandals apart from marine, fire, police, irrigation and R&B officials to Nellore for a review on the arrangements on Wednesday evening.

Collector N. Srikant has directed the special officers to rush to the mandals assigned to them and stay put for next three days. He told them to make arrangements to shift the people living in vulnerable areas to safer places wherever necessary.

Referring to the possibility of gale winds reaching a speed of 120 kms and sea waves to the height of one and half meters from Thursday evening, he advised the people living within 5 kms radius to the coast to move to rehabilitation centres and cyclone shelters to protect themselves from the cyclone threat.

He instructed the Transco and fire departments to be ready to clear uprooted trees and electrical poles. Srikant told the irrigation wing to keep sand bags ready to arrest breaches to the vulnerable tanks and canals. As many as 200 security guards of Krishnapatnam Port trained in swimming, are being attached to marine police and fire wing officials for rescue operations.