Cyclone alert continues

Nellore: Although the cyclonic storm has changed its course and heading towards Machilipatnam, the cyclone alert has been continuing in Nellore district.

Senior officials have toured the coastal area near Kavali and interacted with fishermen besides inspecting the cyclone shelters.

Wednesday’s bulletin of Indian Meteorological Department had forecasted that the cyclone will cross near Kavali.

Joint collector B. Lakshmikantham told this newspaper that they are not going to relax till the cyclone crosses the coast and turns into depression. He pointed to the possibility of the cyclone changing course.

He said that a team of National Disaster Response Force stationed at Kavali has left for Bapatla and another team from Chennai is replacing them.

He added that one NDRF team is positioned at Nellore. According to the joint collector, police have been deployed in large numbers in the entire coast as a precautionary measure at the coast.

Meanwhile, the police along with revenue officials moved in the habitations in the coast and asked the residents to be ready to move to safer places in case of emergency.

Police were seen guarding the beaches at Mypadu, Koduru, Ramateertham and Tummalapenta to prevent people from venturing into the sea for bathing.

The sea was found turbulent although there was no sign of rain in SPSR Nellore district. In fact, it was a sunny day and the highest temperature was 33.2 degrees in Nellore city on Thursday.