The district administration is on high alert following following the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) caution over the well-marked low- pressure in the Bay of Bengal that may develop into a cyclonic storm.
Anticipating heavy rain, District Collector A. Mallikarjuna has asked the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) officials to take precautionary measures in the hillock and low-lying areas, where there is the possibility of landslides and flooding.
Mr. Mallikarjuna, along with GVMC Commissioner G. Lakshmisha, inspected the Meghadrigedda reservoir and checked its water levels.
As on Thursday, the water level in the reservoir stood at 60 feet against its capacity of 61 feet. As a precautionary measure, about 352 cusecs of water was being released, the Collector said.
To avoid overflowing of drains (geddas), Mr. Lakshmisha asked the staff to clear the drains at Chavulamadhum, Gnanapuram and Sheela Nagar.
During Cyclone Gulab in September, many low-lying areas had been flooded due to overflowing of the geddas. A woman had died when a boundary wall collapsed in a hillock area at Pendurthi.
Mr. Mallikarjuna, in a release, said that all tourist places in Visakhapatnam would be closed from December 3 to 5. He asked tourists not to visit the places.
Anticipating heavy rains, he kept 66 NDRF teams, 55 SDRF teams and police personnel on alert. He also asked the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard to keep rescue teams ready.
Mr. Mallikarjuna cancelled leave of all government officials from the village to the district level, and asked them to report for duty.
He said special officers were appointed in every mandal as well as in the constituency to monitor and coordinate rescue operations in case of any eventuality. He instructed the Civil Supplies officers to keep stocks of essential commodities ready in adequate measure.
Advice to people
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Ch. Adinarayana, in a release, appealed to the people not to come onto the road unless necessary as there was a possibility of flooding and uprooting of trees.
The district administration also established control rooms at the Collector’s office, the GVMC, and at the government offices at Paderu, Anakapalle, and several other places.
The helpline numbers are as follows:
Collector Office: 1800-425-00002 (toll-free); 0891-2590102 and 0891-2750089; GVMC: 1800-425-00009 (toll-free) and 0891-2869106; Electrical: 9440812492 and 7382299975; Medical: 8074088594; and Fire: 101 and 0891-2563582
