Collector puts Electricity dept official on high alert

District Collector V Prasanna Venkatesh has directed the electricity officials to be alert as the electric poles might be uprooted due to heavy winds during the cyclone.
He ordered them to be prepared to restore the power supply and erect the uprooted electrical poles on a war footing. He said that under the influence of the Michaung cyclone heavy rain accompanied by gales might lash the district from the midnight of Monday to till afternoon of Tuesday.
“The responsibility lies on the official machinery to ensure that there will be no loss of life in the district. Steps should be taken to ensure that no one tries to cross the streams, canals, nalas, and rivers during the cyclone time,” he told the officials.
Collector Prasanna Venkatesh ordered the officials to identify the dilapidated buildings and take steps to evacuate the dwellers to relief camps and sensitize people not to stand near electric poles, trees, and compound walls as there is scope for collapse and uproot. He appealed to the people to cooperate with the officials during the cyclone, adding that the officials are constantly monitoring the situation.
The Collector also directed the officials to take steps to purchase the paddy produce from the farmers after making it offline and make transport arrangements to shift the paddy to the rice mills. Officials were appointed mandal-wise to monitor the paddy purchase process, the Collector added.
Meanwhile, the education institutions declared a holiday on Tuesday because of rain under the influence of cyclones in the district.
Earlier, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy held a video conference with the Collector and reviewed the arrangements being made to face the cyclone threat.  He instructed the Collector to purchase paddy from the farmers on war footing irrespective of colour or moisture. He also asked the Collector to focus on the emergency services management and enumeration of crop loss after the rains subsided.
SP Marry Prashanthi, Joint Collector B Lavanya Veni, APEPDCL SE Salman Raju, and Agriculture officer Y Ramakrishna were among those who were present.