Guntur: A majority of cyclone shelters out of total 123 in Guntur district are in damaged conditions unable to provide shelter during natural calamities. The cyclone shelters in seacoast villages Adavuladeevi, Mollagunta, Lakshmipuram, Gangadipalem, Kothapalem, Tummala, Nakashtranagar and Mrutunjayapalem of Repalle and Nizampatnam Mandals were in dilapidated conditions. The public are seeking multipurpose cyclone shelters which can be used for other purposes during normal day.
Repalle MLA, A Satyaprasad opined that multipurpose cyclone shelters can be used like community buildings for performing of functions and meeting so a new multipurpose cyclone shelter has been proposed at Sanjeevnagar.
The sea came forward 10 metres due to Vardha cyclone in Krupanagar, Adavipallepalem and adjacent seacoast areas which forced the fishermen to anchor their boats in the Eepurupalem canal.
The officials warned fishermen not to enter in the Bay of Bengal for fishing hence the people of fishermen community staying in their areas amidst fear. The village elders of Kothapalem seacoast village, N. Saidulu and others said that the cyclone shelters in the seacoast areas were damaged and there is danger of collapsing of those dilapidated shelters. They recalled the officials are shifting the public into government schools and community halls during natural calamities.
They said that government should construct multipurpose cyclone shelters which can be used for community purposes during normal time and as cyclone shelters during emergency conditions.
MLA, Mr. Satyaprasad said that multipurpose cyclone shelter is the need of hour so the same would be constructed at Sanjeevnagar. He added that the government allotted 0.25 acres of forest land and modern building complex which can be used for community programmes and shelter during cyclones would be constructed.
