MANGINAPUDI BEACH: Bullet Narasimham (70) runs a tea kiosk near the Manginapudi beach and has seen it all. He has braved cyclones on this beach since 1949 and therefore today’s superstorm holds no terror for him. He is not about to abandon his business and thatched shed just for some Laila blowing in from the sea.
``I can’t give up everything I’ve built because of a storm that will soon pass,” he said as 75 kmph winds swept the beach on Wednesday.
The sea has been turbulent this week and people live near the shoreline said the sea has crept up 200-300 m in the last 48 hours. Officials have been at pains to persuade people that their sheds and old houses may not be able to withstand it when the winds get really blustery at 100-150 km during the night.
Manginapudi presents a playful scene on most days but it was deserted on Wednesday. Police posses shooed off anyone approaching the beach.
Machilipatnam rural circle inspector V Subrahmanyam, patrolling the area, said things haven’t turned serious yet, but people in vulnerable areas were being moved to safer places.
But came to watch. Hussain of Inagudurupet locality in Machilipatnam was one of the storm watchers.
He noticed that the waves are decidedly higher but unl ike Bul let Narasimham, he wasn’t nonchalant.
``People living along the coastline are praying,’’ he said. ``No one can stop a natural calamity.’’ Another Laila watcher, M Ramu of Mekavaripalem said people had no business taking her so lightly. He said officials ought to evacuate people in the more vulnerable areas willy-nilly.
``No one likes to abandon their homes and live in relief centres. But they shouldn’t be given a choice.’’ The beach was no place to be. The whole of the area from Vijayawada through to Machilipatnam and other coastal areas of Krishna district were lashed by sleet all through Wednesday.
Machilipatnam received 11.11 mm on Wednesday.
District collector Peeyush Kumar said he’s been advised that Laila might just choose to hit Machilipatnam and the window of highest alert was from 11.30 a.m to 5 p.m Thursday.
Forty vehicles have been kept ready for emergency evac. Some 1200 people have already been moved to cyclone relief centres in Krittivennu mandal and Machilipatnam, in addition to 300 people shifted to other areas of the district. Some 120 relief centres have been identified in the district.
Two disaster management teams are stationed at Vijayawada and one at Machilipatnam. A helicopter is standing ready at Gannavaram airport.
The collector appointed two special officers to oversee arrangments in the seven cyclone-prone mandals: Machilipatnam, Nagayalanka, Koduru, Kruthivennu, Bantumilli, Avanigadda and Mopidevi.
He said 2 fishermen are still reported missing but 12 fishermen of Kakinada and 72 fishermen of Bapatla reached Sarangupalem beach near Pedapatnam village today.
SP P Harikumar said special police teams have been sent to cycloneprone areas incuding Palakayatipa, basavavanipalem, Yedurumondi, Chinagollapalem, Orlagondi tippa, Pedapatnam, Kothapalli and Tummalapalem.