Cyclone: 110 Families of Hope Island Shifted to Safer Places
Hope Island is located in the sea at a distance of 7 nautical miles from the Kakinada shore
KAKINADA: The district administrations of Kakinada, Eluru, Konaseema and the east and west Godavari districts are on an alert against the Montha cyclone that may cross the Kakinada coast on Monday.
In view of this, the public grievance redressal system planned for Monday has been cancelled. Holidays have been declared for educational institutions in these districts from October 27 to 31.
As a precautionary step, 110 families living in Hope Island were shifted to the island colony at Turangi in Kakinada rural mandal. Initially, they were resisting a shift from their homes. Hope Island is a natural barrier for Kakinada during the national calamities.
Hope Island is located in the sea at a distance of 7 nautical miles from the Kakinada shore. During the 1996 cyclone and the 2004 Tsunami, the people of Hope Island did not leave their homes. On Sunday, the Kakinada RDO Mallibabu along with revenue and police teams went to Hope Island and persuaded them to move to safety at Turangi. They were shifted from Hope Island in six special boats.
The RDO also convened a meeting with the fishermen in Uppada in U.Kothapalli mandal and explained to them about the seriousness of the cyclone and requested them not to go to sea for now.
District collector Sagili announced a holiday for Government, private and residential schools and colleges for five days. He advised social welfare hostel officers in the district to send the students to
their homes by Sunday evening.
The collector said the impact of the cyclone would be worst on Kakinada district. Officials are fully prepared to deal with the storm-effect. He and special officer Krishna Teja as also SP Bindu Madhav conducted a video conference with the officials and said all the villages could experience heavy rain and strong winds-- in particular, the Thondangi,
Uppada, Tallarevu, Kakinada Rural and Kakinada Urban areas should be more vigilant. Winds would blow at a speed of 100km per hour due to the cyclone, resulting in likely collapse of trees and electricity poles. Officials would keep the 108 and 104 ambulances ready.
At Amalapuram, Konaseema collector Mahesh Kumar said heavy to very heavy rains and gusty winds of 100 to 120km per hour would lash the district in the next four days. The cyclone impact could be maximum on October 27, 28 and
29. The low pressure would turn into a depression on October 28 and there is a possibility of it crossing the coast in the Kakinada zone by the evening on Tuesday.
Officials would be ready with mitigation management methods to take up any assistance.
