NELLORE /TIRUPATI: Heavy rain, accompanied by strong winds, lashed Nellore on Wednesday under the influence of severe cyclonic storm Nivar. Several other places in the district, including Sullurpeta, Venkatagiri, Kavali, Atmakur and Gudur, experienced moderate to heavy rains. Normal life affected due to rains in all 12 coastal mandals.
The district received an average rainfall of 6 cm. Kota received the highest rainfall of 15 cm, followed by Vakadu (13.5 cm), Naidupet, Chittamuru and Kodavaluru (12 cm), Kovur, Muthukuru and Vidavaluru (11 cm) till 6 pm on Wednesday, according to officials.
The official machinery set up helpline No. 1077 at the District Emergency Operation Centre for the benefit of people. Many low-lying areas in Nellore city were inundated. Mandals close to Chennai such as Sullurpeta, Tada, DV Satram and Naidupet, received heavy rainfall. Around 100 NDRF and SDRF personnel were deployed in Kota, Vakadu, Kavali, Vidavaluru, Tada, Atmakur, Nellore, Sangam and Indukurpeta for relief and rescue operations. Services of 9th APSP Battalion in Venkatagiri will also be utilised in case of any eventuality. About 750 people were shifted to relief homes in the district.
District Collector KVN Chakradhar Babu, Joint Collector N Prabhakar Reddy and Telugu Ganga Special Collector SV Nageswara Rao are closely monitoring the situation. They visited several rain-hit places and oversaw shifting of people from low-lying areas to relief centres. Special officers were deputed to vulnerable coastal mandals to monitor the relief and rescue operations. Fire, medical and health, agriculture, police, irrigation and revenue officials were put on high alert. Holidays were declared for educational institutions up to November 27 in view of the cyclone.
“We have set up 100 relief centres with a capacity of 3,000 families across the district. We will utilise school buildings and government offices as shelter homes. We have started shifting people from vulnerable areas to shelter homes. Food and drinking water are being provided to the evacuees. Medical equipment and generators have been kept ready at Community Health Centres and Primary Health Centres in the district to offer medical services to people. Special teams have also been deployed on all National Highways and State Highways for clearance of obstacles if any to ensure smooth movement of vehicular traffic. All steps have been taken to mitigate loss to public properties,” he said.
In Nellore city, heavy rain coupled with gales started in the early hours of Wednesday. Pogathota, Gandhi statue centre, Trunk Road, Atmakur bus stand area, Haranathapuram, Padmavati Nagar centre and other places were inundated. Several colonies such as Chandrababu Nagar, Sundaraiah Colony, Bhagat Singh Colony, Janardhan Reddy Colony on the outskirts of the city were flooded.