VISAKHAPATNAM: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for several coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, including Prakasam, Bapatla, Krishna, Nellore, West Godavari, Konaseema and Kakinada, for October 27, in view of the deep depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal, which is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm ‘Montha’ by October 28.
According to the IMD, the system lay centered at 5.30 pm on October 26 over the same region about 670 km west of Port Blair, 720 km east-southeast of Chennai, 780 km southeast of Kakinada, 790 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam, and 900 km south-southeast of Gopalpur. The system is expected to move west-northwestwards, and intensify further into a cyclonic storm over the southwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal within the next 24 hours.
It is then likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by the morning of October 28, and cross the Andhra Pradesh coast between Machilipatnam and Kakinada on the evening or night of October 28. Wind speeds are likely to range between 90 to 100 kmph, with gusts reaching up to 110 kmph during landfall.
For Tuesday, a red alert has been issued for Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Anakapalle, Kakinada, Yanam, BR Ambedkar Konaseema, East Godavari, West Godavari, Eluru, NTR, Krishna, Guntur and Bapatla districts.
Orange alert has been sounded for Parvathipuram Manyam, Palnadu, Prakasam, SPSR Nellore, Tirupati, YSR Kadapa, Kurnool and Nandyal districts, while Chittoor, Annamayya, Sri Sathya Sai and Anantapur remain under a yellow alert.
Holidays announced for educational institutes
On Wednesday, IMD has placed Srikakulam, Parvathipuram Manyam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalle, Kakinada, Yanam, East Godavari, Eluru and NTR districts under red alert.
Orange alert is issued for Alluri Sitarama Raju, Konaseema, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur and Palnadu, while yellow alert is issued for Bapatla, Prakasam, Kurnool, Nandyal and Anantapur districts.
By Thursday, the weather system is expected to weaken gradually, with a yellow alert for Srikakulam, Parvathipuram Manyam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and Anakapalle districts of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh, and Yanam. The education departments across several districts have announced closure of educational institutions starting Monday.
In view of the evolving situation, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has placed the entire coastal administration on high alert. Senior IAS officers have been deputed as Special Officers to coordinate relief, rescue, and rehabilitation efforts across districts.
Chief Secretary K Vijayanand issued orders directing officers to immediately reach their assigned districts, establish Cyclone Control Rooms, and ensure close coordination with district collectors, and other line departments.
Senior IAS officer RP Sisodia will act as Zonal In-charge Officer for the coastal belt, overseeing cyclone preparedness from West Godavari to Chittoor districts, while Ajay Jain will supervise the Visakhapatnam Zone, covering Srikakulam to Konaseema, which are expected to witness the most severe impact.
Other senior officers have also been assigned to individual districts - KVN Chakradhara Babu (Srikakulam), Pattanshetti Ravi Subash (Vizianagaram), Narayana Bharat Gupta (Parvathipuram Manyam), Vadarevu Vinay Chand (Alluri Sitarama Raju), K Kanna Babu (East Godavari), VR Krishna Teja (Kakinada), Vijaya Rama Raju (Konaseema), V Prasanna Venkatesh (West Godavari), Kantilal Dande (Eluru), Amrapali Kata (Krishna), Shashi Bhushan Kumar (NTR), M Venu Gopal Reddy (Bapatla), Kona Sasidhar (Prakasam), N Yuvaraj (Nellore), P Arun Babu (Tirupati), and PS Girisha (Chittoor).
The Chief Secretary directed the officers to ensure evacuation of vulnerable populations, availability of safe drinking water, food, milk, and medical care, and the maintenance of sanitation at relief camps. Immediate repairs to roads and irrigation infrastructure have also been prioritised.
Collectors have been instructed to hire APSRTC buses for transporting evacuees, and use government schools and colleges as relief shelters where cyclone shelters are insufficient.
APSDMA makes financial allocations for districts
The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) has sanctioned Rs 1 crore each for Tirupati, SPSR Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla, Krishna, West Godavari, Konaseema, Kakinada, Anakapalle, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts, while `50 lakh each has been allocated to Chittoor, YSR Kadapa, Annamayya, Anantapur, Sri Sathya Sai, Kurnool, Nandyal, Guntur, Palnadu, NTR, Eluru, East Godavari, Alluri Sitarama Raju, and Parvathipuram Manyam districts. In total, `19 crore has been sanctioned, with provision for additional funds for severely affected districts as needed.
All precautionary measures taken, says Home Minister
Home and Disaster Management Minister Vangalapudi Anitha said the State government has implemented all precautionary measures using advanced information systems to minimise the cyclone’s impact. She said six NDRF, and 13 SDRF teams have been deployed, along with helicopters and naval personnel on standby. “Helipads have been prepared across the State, and additional aircraft can be requisitioned from Bengaluru, Chennai or Hyderabad if required. Fourteen boats have been positioned along coastal areas for emergency response,” Home Minister Anitha said.
