Red alert: Heavy to very heavy rains in coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh for next 48 hours

AMARAVATI: With cyclonic storm Michaung looming over the State, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for all the coastal districts in Andhra Pradesh. Due to this heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected to lash out at the Southern coast of Andhra Pradesh for the next 48 hours starting from Monday.

According to IMD officials, the cyclonic storm Michaung which formed over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and is likely to cross the South Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam on Tuesday. Bapatla district collector P Ranjit Basha urged the farmers, electricity department officials and people of the hinterland to be alert as gusty winds are likely to blow at a speed of 120 to 150 kmph.

Ranjit Basha said that as part of cyclone preparedness measures, NDRF personnel were deployed near Bapatla, Repalle, Nizampatnam and Chirala. Police and revenue personnel had shifted the people in low lying areas to rehabilitation centres and providing food and accommodation facilities to avoid any untoward incidents.

In Nellore district, the seashore turned turbulent due to the cyclonic storm Michaung. Strong waves were blowing on the seashores of Kavali Tummalapenta, Kotta Samudram, Chennayapalem, Ramatirtham, Kothakoduru and Mypadu. The gusty winds were blowing at a speed of 50-100 km per hour. The marine police had constituted special teams to prevent any untoward incident in the seashore. Fishermen were also advised to not to venture into the sea and the officials shifted them to rehabilitation centres.

With heavy rains lashing out the Tiurpati district due to cyclonic storm Michaung, the police have taken up relief activities on a war footing basis and shifted the people living in low lying areas to safer locations. Following the heavy rains, the revenue officials had shifted around 500 villagers of Vatrapalem in Sullurpeta mandal to safer locations. With water levels increased in the ponds and lakes, the police and revenue personnel shifted the elderly people and children to rehabilitation centres.