CM Naidu On Night-Long Vigil, Coordinates Roles Of 45,000 Personnel
Heavy rain was expected to continue in Bapatla, Guntur, Prakasam, Palnadu, Krishna, NTR, Eluru and West Godavari districts.
Vijayawada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday directed officials to prioritise the prevention of loss of life and the speedy restoration of essential services in districts affected by cyclone Murasu.
Naidu monitored the cyclone’s impact through a series of teleconferences with district collectors and officials, coordinating the roles of more than 45,000 officers and field-level personnel. He directed them to ensure that there was no loss of life and that essential services were restored without delay.
He held three teleconferences on Tuesday, including one at 10pm, and continued to seek hourly updates through the night. During another review at 3.30am, officials informed him that the cyclone had crossed the coast near Kothapatnam, close to Ongole, at around 1am.
Heavy rain was expected to continue in Bapatla, Guntur, Prakasam, Palnadu, Krishna, NTR, Eluru and West Godavari districts. Twenty-one urban areas had recorded significant rainfall.
Rainfall figures presented during the review showed 20cm each in Bapatla and Naguluppalapadu, 18cm in Kothapatnam, 17cm each in Trovagunta and Chirala, and 16cm in Narsapuram over 24 hours. From Monday morning, Yadlapadu in Palnadu recorded 25cm, Maddipadu 24cm, Chilakaluripet and Nadendla 22cm each, and Gannavaram and Chigurumamidi 21cm each.
Naidu cautioned that heavy rain in upper areas, including Guntur and Palnadu, could send floodwaters downstream into Bapatla district. He asked the collectors of Guntur and NTR districts to remain particularly vigilant.
He directed the administration to focus on drinking water, power supply and road connectivity and prevent waterlogging in agricultural fields. Though tanks, reservoirs and streams were not at dangerous levels, officials were asked to monitor them continuously and manage rainwater efficiently. Restoration work in Prakasam and Bapatla, where power supply had earlier been disrupted, was to be expedited.
During the early-morning review, collectors reported that fallen trees had been cleared in Bapatla, Nellore and Ongole. Nellore reported seven such incidents and Ongole five locations, while two trees had fallen in Bapatla district.
Heavy rain was reported around Repalle, Chirala and Vetapalem, and in Avanigadda and Nagayalanka in Krishna district. Guntur reported rain across all mandals but no fallen trees or electricity poles. NTR district reported light showers, with no immediate problem at Budameru. Some families in Mogalrajpuram were shifted to relief camps as a precaution against possible landslides.
Naidu asked collectors to keep the public informed through the media about rainfall and inundation, ensure that assistance reached every affected person by Tuesday evening, and continue precautions to protect life and property.
Collectors also informed him that arrangements were being made to conduct local body election counting alongside cyclone relief operations.
