VIJAYAWADA: Educational institutions across NTR and Krishna districts will remain closed on Tuesday as Cyclone MURASU threatens the Andhra Pradesh coast, with the possibility of heavy rainfall prompting precautionary measures across the region.
The holiday covers government and private schools, junior and degree colleges, and Anganwadi centres in the districts. The closure was announced in view of the possibility of heavy rain on Tuesday and concerns over the safety of students travelling to and from educational institutions.
With heavy rainfall expected in parts of the region, road travel could be affected. Commuters may face delays due to water accumulation on roads, while two-wheeler users and pedestrians could find it difficult to navigate flooded roads.
Strong winds and rain could bring down tree branches, damage temporary structures and disrupt power supply. Residents have been advised to stay away from fallen electric wires, avoid parking vehicles under large trees and keep clear of waterlogged roads.
People living in low-lying areas and near slopes need to remain alert to changing weather conditions and follow any evacuation or safety advisories issued by officials. Academic activities are expected to resume after holiday, subject to further instructions.
20 flight services disrupted
Air connectivity to and from Vijayawada was disrupted by Cyclone MURASU, with 12 flight services cancelled on Monday and eight more IndiGo services cancelled on Tuesday, taking the total cancellations over the two days to 20.
On Monday, 10 IndiGo services connecting Vijayawada with Visakhapatnam, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Tirupati, Chennai, Kurnool and Mumbai were cancelled.
Two Air India Express services, IX 2413/2414 on the Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada-Visakhapatnam route and IX 2405/2406 on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada-Hyderabad route, were also cancelled.
The disruption continued on Tuesday, with eight IndiGo services cancelled. These included flights connecting Vijayawada with Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Singapore and Kadapa.
The affected services included the Delhi-Vijayawada-Delhi, Bengaluru-Vijayawada-Bengaluru and Hyderabad-Vijayawada-Hyderabad routes.
The cancellations covered both domestic & international routes, with Singapore service among those affected. Several routes connecting Vijayawada to key cities were hit.