Chief Secretary KS Jawahar Reddy has said that the State is fully prepared to face the impending cyclonic storm originating from the Bay of Bengal.
During a video conference on Friday, Reddy briefed Union Cabinet Secretary Rajeev Gauba, along with counterparts from Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry, on precautionary measures.
Participating from the Vijayawada Chief Secretary’s camp office, the Chief Secretary said that control rooms have been established at State and district levels, with district collectors fully briefed.
According to Meteorological Department forecasts, the low pressure system is anticipated to intensify into a cyclonic storm, potentially causing heavy to very heavy rains in southern coastal Andhra districts and moderate to heavy rains in other coastal areas. The storm is expected to make landfall between Chennai and Machilipatnam on Monday (December 4), accompanied by winds reaching speeds of 100 km.
Jawahar Reddy said that fishermen have been cautioned against venturing into the sea since Saturday morning. To effectively address the storm, two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and six State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been mobilised. Adequate essential commodities have been ensured through the Civil Supplies Department. The Irrigation, Roads & Buildings, and Panchayat Raj Departments have been placed on high alert, with special preventive measures ordered for vulnerable areas such as stream embankments and bridges.
The Chief Secretary said that officials from various departments, including fresh water supply, electricity, telecom, municipal, and medical health, have been fully alerted.
Union Cabinet Secretary Rajeev Gauba urged the Chief Secretaries of the four states to remain vigilant and minimise potential loss of life and property. He instructed coordination among NDRF, Coast Guard, Navy Air Force, Telecom, and other central government agencies for providing necessary assistance to the respective state governments.
Officials reported significant rainfall in Andhra Pradesh as of December 1 morning, with Indukurpeta in SPS Nellore district recording 76.2 mm, Nellore Urban 66.4 mm, Kovvur 60 mm, and various other measurements across the region.
Participating in the video conference were AP DGP KV Rajendranath Reddy, Special Chief Secretary of Revenue Department and CCLA G. Sai Prasad, Additional DG (Law and Order) S Bagchi, SEB Director Ravi Prakash, and other key officials.
