Cyclone Montha: 50,000 People in AP Set for Evacuation
The meteorological department has issued warnings of flash floods in eight AP districts in the coming hours.
Kakinada: Waves of one-metre high were rising on the Kakinada coast on Monday night as Cyclone Montha edged closer to the eastern coast and is likely to cross this region by Tuesday night.
The meteorological department has issued warnings of flash floods in eight AP districts in the coming hours.
The government has identified 50,000 people for evacuation, including 26,500 in Konaseema, 10,000 each in Kakinada and West Godavari district and the remaining Eluru district. District collectors have organised rehabilitation centers, but many people in expressed a reluctance to leave their villages even in the face of cyclone threat and warnings.
Joint collector Nishanthi said some 26,500 people have been identified for evacuation in Konaseema district. Out of these, 830 could be evacuated immediately. “Many are reluctant to leave their villages, but officials convinced them about the severity of the cyclone and they are being shifted to the rehabilitation centres,” she said.
“All basic facilities have been provided in these centers and we are making all efforts to protect the people and their properties. Officials identified the people across the coast and others living in huts, thatched houses and old buildings in the region,” she said.
District collector Mahesh Kumar and special officer Vijayarama Raju visited the rehabilitation centre at Kseanapalli and enquired about the facilities.
Kakinada collector Shan Mohan directed the officials to even forcefully evacuate the people from vulnerable areas. He along with special officer Krishna Teja and SP Bindu Madhav visited low-lying areas in U Kothapalli mandal. He tole the people to take the present cyclone more seriously.The collector asked the officials to provide clean drinking water to the people.
West Godavari collector Nagarani directed the officials to focus on Narsapuram coast and evacuate people from vulnerable areas. She said 16 rehabilitation centers have been opened in the district.
Civil supplies minister Nadendla Manohar reviewed the cyclone situation along with Eluru district collector Vetri Selvi and said the evacuation process was on. Some 534 people have been evacuated so far.
