Tirupati: The State government has put on high alert administrators of Nellore, Tirupati and Prakasam after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast heavy rains over these districts.
According to IMD, the low-pressure area, which had been developing over South Andaman Sea and its surrounding region, has intensified into the cyclonic storm Mandous. It is likely to reach southern Andhra Pradesh by Thursday.
Under its influence, there will be light to moderate rainfall from Thursday to Saturday at most places, apart from heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in south coastal AP covering Prakasam, SPSR Nellore and Tirupati districts, in addition to Rayalaseema’s Chittoor, Annamaiah and YSR districts.
Fishermen have been advised not to venture into sea along and off South Andhra coasts, and south west Bay of Bengal until Saturday.
State government has directed Nellore district collector K.V.N. Chakradhar Babu and his Tirupati counterpart K. Venkata Ramana Reddy to gear up administrative machinery for dealing with the situation.
In accordance with the advice and IMD’s alert, collectors of Tirupati, Nellore, Prakasam, Chittoor and Annamaiah districts have directed all tehsildars to stay put in their respective headquarters. Senior officials have been appointed as special officers at mandals to oversee relief and rescue operations in case of an emergency.
Control rooms have been established to handle emergency calls. The number of Tirupati civic body is 0877-2256766, while those of Nellore corporation are 18004251113 and 0861-2301541.
Tirupati, Nellore and Prakasam district administrations have sent messages to fishermen who have gone into sea to return immediately. As many as 202 fishermen had ventured into the sea from Tirupati district. Of them, 118 have returned till information had last been received on Wednesday.
Fisheries department officials are trying to reach fishermen in the deep sea, so that they could be brought to safety.
