Heavy rain alerts issued as 'Michaung' intensifies into a severe cyclonic storm

Amaravati: Heavy rains lashed parts of Andhra Pradesh on Monday under the influence of cyclonic storm 'Michaung' as the state government issued an alert to the eight districts as it nears the southern coastal region before landfall.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy held a review meeting on the cyclone with senior officials on Monday and set several relief efforts in motion.

Also, an alert was issued to the districts of Tirupati, Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla, Krishna, West Godavari, Konaseema, and Kakinada.

According to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the severe cyclonic storm is expected to make landfall near Bapatla on Tuesday around noon, accompanied by winds reaching up to 100 km per hour.

Gales are also expected to gust up to 110 kmph during Tuesday forenoon.

The weather system is expected to persist until December 7 and thereafter become a deep depression, the statement said.

Besides the sanction of Rs 2 crore to Tirupati district and Rs 1 crore each to Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla, Krishna, West Godavari, Konaseema and Kakinada districts for relief measures, the Chief Minister said and promised additional funds if needed.

Further, he said it was decided to deploy senior IAS officers as special officers in the affected districts from Monday to join the relief efforts, focusing on preventing loss of life, both human and livestock.

Also, officials have been directed to focus on safeguarding crops, especially by procuring paddy and saving the kharif harvest.

Until Sunday, up to 97,000 tons of paddy has been collected while 6.5 lakh tons of paddy has been moved to safer storage locations with instructions to carefully manage their moisture content.

Meanwhile, the evacuation process of affected people is underway at 181 relief camps across the eight districts, said the statement.

Five National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and an equal number of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been deployed in the affected districts.

During the review meeting, the Chief Minister directed officials to engage the services of ward and village secretariats, including tapping into the services of village clinics, Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBK) and others.

Further, he directed the special officers to focus on the medical, food and drinking water needs of the evacuees.

While returning from the relief camps, officials have been directed to handover financial assistance of Rs 2,500 per family and Rs 1,000 in case of individual evacuees.

In case of severely affected thatched houses, the CM directed officials to distribute a financial assistance of Rs 10,000.

Also food rations of 25 kg rice, along with pulses, edible oil, onions and potatoes will be distributed to the evacuees.

He directed officials to prioritise the safe transportation of pregnant women and to monitor the spread of communicable diseases.

Reddy directed officials to be empathetic towards the affected people.

The severe cyclonic storm is likely to intensify gradually and move northwards almost parallel and close to south Andhra Pradesh coast and cross between Nellore and Machilipatnam, close to Bapatla during forenoon of December 5, said a release from the Amaravati Meteorological Centre.

Due to incessant rains, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has temporarily denied permission for devotees to take holy bath at Sri Kapilathirtham waterfalls.

TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh postponed his ‘Yuva Galam’ padayatra (political walkathon) by three days in view of the inclement weather.