VISAKHAPATNAM: The administrations of three north coastal Andhra Pradesh districts and the Indian Navy are on a high alert and are closely monitoring the movement of Cyclone Gulab.
With the people along the coast likely to get affected, the administration in three districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam have taken all steps to evacuate people from low lying areas. People along the coast would also be shifted to cyclone shelters and safe areas.
One State Disaster Response Force team is stationed at Visakhapatnam while two NDRF teams and four SDRF teams are deployed at Srikakulam and one NDRF team is deployed at Visakhapatnam.
Cyclone shelters are kept ready and evacuation plans are being made to shift people to safer areas if necessary.
With the reports suggesting the landfall near Itchapuram, district collector Srikesh Lathkar and minister Sidiri Appalaraju reviewed the situation.
People in Mandasa, Palasa and Vajraputkotuur mandals were asked to be on an alert and to take precautionary measures. 24x7 control rooms were set up at Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam collectorates.
Meanwhile, the Eastern Naval Command is in constant liaison with the State Administrations for rendering assistance as required.
As part of the preparedness, Flood Relief Teams and Diving Teams are prepositioned at Odisha and are ready at Visakhapatnam to render immediate assistance.
Two Naval ships are at sea with Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) material and medical teams to render assistance in the most affected areas.
Naval aircraft are kept ready at Naval Air Stations, INS Dega at Visakhapatnam and INS Rajali near Chennai to undertake an aerial survey of the most affected areas, casualty evacuation, and airdrop of relief material as required.
IMD said Cyclone Gulab which lay centred at 330 km east of Kalingapatnam and 270 km east-south-east of Gopalpur is moving with a speed of 10 km and is likely to move northwesterly direction and cross the coast between Kalingapatnam and Gopalpur in midnight on Sunday. The wind speed is likely to reach 85 km to 95 km during the landfall.
Under its influence light to moderate rain will occur at most places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam. Extremely heavy rainfalls at one or two places very likely over Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts. Wind speed is likely to increase since afternoon on Sunday.
Heavy to very heavy falls at one or two places very likely over East Godavari, West Godavari districts and heavy rainfall at one or two places very likely to occur over south Coastal Andhra Pradesh.