VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu conducted a review meeting on Murasu cyclone preparedness with senior officials and district collectors from the Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) Centre at the Secretariat on Monday and directed the administration to remain fully alert as moderate to heavy rainfall is expected in the South Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema districts.
He stated that the impact of Cyclone Murasu on the Andhra Pradesh coast is likely to be relatively limited. Forecasts indicate that wind speeds and rainfall intensity are also expected to be lower compared to Cyclone Arnab.
It may be noted that the cyclone may cross the AP coast on Tuesday morning. The Chief Minister instructed officials to make effective use of the rainfall from the cyclone to fill tanks and reservoirs through efficient water management. He stressed the need for robust measures to prevent any loss of life or property.
The Chief Minister stated that normalcy had been restored to a large extent in areas affected by Cyclone Arnab.
He recalled that precautionary arrangements had been made from Srikakulam to Bapatla to tackle Cyclone Arnab and directed officials to effectively manage the impact of Cyclone Murusu as well.
The Chief Minister directed officials to pay special attention to the safety of 6,800 tanks across the six districts likely to be affected by Cyclone Murusu. He called for the activation of Water Users Associations and stressed the need to monitor the condition of tanks with public participation.
He instructed officials to utilise the works undertaken under the Jaladhara programme and ensure that no tank breaches occur. He also directed officials to take preventive measures to avoid crop inundation due to silt accumulation in drains. The Chief Minister directed officials to complete post-cyclone restoration works within 48 hours.
He also stressed the need to expedite the crop insurance compensation and input subsidy processes. Expressing concern over possible flood inflows into major water bodies, he said the catchment areas of Nagarjuna Sagar, Pulichintala and Budameru were likely to receive heavy inflows. Budameru was expected to receive around 30,000 cusecs on Tuesday.
Special teams should be deployed to monitor the situation and take preventive measures. He also warned that inflows were likely into the Gundlakamma, Pulichintala and Prakasam Barrage.
The Chief Minister called for special attention towards water management.
He directed officials to fill tanks and reservoirs in Guntur, Bapatla, Palnadu, Prakasam, Nellore and Markapuram districts, which have been experiencing a rainfall deficit. He also instructed them to formulate an action plan to store water in reservoirs across the South Coastal and Rayalaseema basins.
Officials informed the Chief Minister that 31,000 electricity poles had been dispatched to the field from Srikakulam to Krishna district.
They estimated that around 8,000 electricity poles in the South Coastal and Rayalaseema districts could be affected by the winds associated with Cyclone Murusu.
Another 1,000 personnel are arriving from Chennai to assist in power restoration works. The Chief Minister directed officials to deploy them across various districts, including Nellore and Prakasam to restore the power.
