VIJAYAWADA: A high alert has been sounded in the three north coastal districts -- Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and Srikakulam district -- as Cyclone Jawad is hurtling towards the coast.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the depression in the Bay of Bengal which intensified into a deep depression in the early hours of the day lay centred at 480 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam and is likely to move north, northwestwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm by Friday evening.
It is likely to reach the west-central Bay of Bengal off the north Andhra Pradesh and South Odisha coast by Saturday morning. Thereafter it is like to recurve north-north eastwards and move along Odisha coast during the subsequent 24 hours with a maximum sustained wind speed of 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph.
Under its influence, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to lash some places and very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at some places in the three north coastal districts on Friday. Fishermen have been advised not to venture out into the sea for three days starting today following rough seas.
Till afternoon, there had been no rains, but overcast clouds were seen covering the three coastal districts.
District administrations of all the three districts initiated preventive measures and announced control rooms. District collectors and special officers deputed to the three districts are reviewing the situation every hour. Holidays have been declared for schools in all three districts for Friday and Saturday.
Village and ward secretaries and village volunteers have been alerted to keep an eye for any inundation in the low-lying areas. Schools in the coastal mandals are being prepared to be used as relief centres if needed.
NDRF and SDRF personnel have been positioned in all three districts. Three teams each of NDRF and SDRF have been placed in Visakhapatnam, while three NDRF and two SDRF teams have been placed in Srikakulam district and three NDRF and one SDRF team in Vizianagaram district.
Here are the numbers of the control rooms in different locations:
Srikakulam Collectorate control room no: 08942-240557
Palakonda RDO's Office Control room no:08941-260144, 9493341965
Tekkali RDO's Office control room no:08945-245188
Srikakulam RDO's Office control room no:8333989270
Visakhapatnam collectorate -- 1800-425-00002; 0891-22590102; 0891-2750089; 0891-2750090; 0891-2560820
RDO Vizag -- 8332802101
Sub collector office Paderu --- 9491159232
RDO Anakapalle -- 08923-223316; 8143631525;
RDO Narsipatnam -- 7075356563
GVMC -- 1800-425-00009, 0891-2869106
Medical -- 8074088594
Fire services -- 101, 0891-2563582
Panchayat office -- 9885531079; 7013816205