Cyclone Michaung: Flight Services Cancelled in Rajamahendravaram Airport
Kakinada: Godavari districts have been adversely affected by Cyclone Michaung and the region experienced heavy rainfall along with huge gales. This has played havoc with Kakinada and West Godavari districts.
Nine flights have been cancelled at Rajamahendravaram airport while the education department declared a holiday to schools and colleges.
Officials said, “A tornado hit the national Highway between Gandepalli and Jaggampeta in Kakinada district and Veeravasaram mandal of West Godavari district. Tractors and harvested machines were flown in the air and the system caused havoc for a distance of 3km. Several trees have been uprooted in the Godavari districts and power supply was disrupted due to the fall of electrical poles.”
Paddy crop has been inundated in Konaseema, Kakinada and East Godavari and West Godavari districts. Two thatched houses collapsed and two girls were injured in Tolleru in Veeravasaram mandal.
Eluru collector Prasanna Venkatesh said electricity supply was resumed. Weeds were removed from the canals and drainages to ensure free flow of water. To help the paddy farmers, agriculture labourers were engaged under NREGS to dry the paddy stocks. The Rapid action teams helped in cutting the uprooted trees and removing them from the roads.
Civil supplies minister KV Nageswara Rao said the government has asked officials and the Rythu Bharosa Kendras to buy the paddy without consideration of moisture content and shift the paddy stocks to the rice mills.
During the cyclone period, the state government purchased 1.97 lakh metric tonnes of paddy offline and paid Rs.800 crore out of Rs.1140 crore earmarked for the purpose. West Godavari collector Prashanthi said that 5,215 people were evacuated from low-lying areas in the district to 28 rehabilitation centres.
She said animals were shifted to agriculture market committee grounds and 11 pregnant women were admitted to hospitals. Twenty teams have been engaged in the sanitation works.
At Rajamahendravaram, the cyclone caused a flutter. Many glasses of shops were broken due to the gales and glasses flew off the roofs of showrooms. In Konaseema district, many coconut and other trees were uprooted and some houses have been damaged. Rescue teams were engaged in clearing the routes.
Kakinada district recorded 47.2mm, Eluru 37.9mm, East Godavari 34.5mm, Konaseema 121mm and West Godavari district 178mm rain fall.
