Search the Internet           Tips

150,000 people evacuated in AP

The evacuation process began on Wednesday afternoon in about 50 mandals spread over Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur and Krishna districts, which are likely to bear the brunt of the cyclonic storm. The storm, centred 350 kilometres east off Nellore, is expected to hit the coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam on Thursday afternoon.

The administration in nine coastal districts had been put on high alert. Special teams of officials armed with wireless sets fanned out across the vulnerable regions and control rooms had been set up in all coastal district headquarters for monitoring the situation round-the-clock.

Two MI-8 helicopters have already arrived in Hyderabad from Bangalore and another one was being requisitioned for help in relief and rescue operations, state Revenue Minister P Ashok Gajapathiraju told reporters on Wednesday evening after a high-level review meeting.

Going by the sluggish movement of the storm, moving with a maximum speed of 100 km/hr, it was feared that it might cause 'severe' destruction and disrupt the communication network, he said.

Senior officials had been despatched to coastal districts to co-ordinate relief works and cyclone shelters all along the coast were provided with food, medicine and other essential commodities.

ALSO SEE
AP gears up to face cyclonic storm
Cyclonic storm likely to hit AP on Thursday

Tell us what you think of this report