Around 130 residents of Hope Island in Kakinada coast were evacuated to safe locations in special boats and moved to Island Colony at Turangi in Kakinada Rural mandal.
Kakinada: With the weatherman forecasting the arrival of cyclone Arnab between the Kakinada and Yanam coasts by Tuesday night, the administrations of the Kakinada and BR Ambedkar Konaseema districts are zeroing in on this region with special focus.
SDRF and NDRF teams have arrived in the areas.
Control rooms have been set up at the tahsildar and revenue divisional offices and the collectorates of six districts like Eluru, Kakinada, Konaseema, Polavaram, East and West Godavari.
In anticipation of the hassles, the government has declared holidays for Tuesday and Wednesday for educational institutions.
The electricity department is taking necessary steps to face the critical situation and advising the people to remain vigilant.
Around 130 residents of Hope Island in Kakinada coast were evacuated to safe locations in special boats and moved to Island Colony at Turangi in Kakinada Rural mandal.
Officials said Andhra Pradesh is facing the threat of cyclone Arnab, which is likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm by Tuesday night and cross the coast between Baptala and Visakhapatnam on Wednesday through Kakinada-Yanam coast.
Collector Harindhara Prasad said the cyclone could affect Kakinada and urged the people to remain alert.
Precautionary measures had been initiated to deal with the potential impact of the storm.
The district has six cyclone shelters and people living in coastal areas would be shifted these by Tuesday morning, he said.
Fishermen have been alerted and advised not to venture into the sea.
Fishermen who are already into the sea have been asked to return immediately to the shore.
Winds of up to 100kmph are likely when the cyclone crosses the coast.
A 24-hour control room has been established in Kakinada district to coordinate relief and emergency response operations.
People are advised to contact the control room on 0884-356801 or 9849903879.
The administration has urged the people to avoid unnecessary travel and keep essential supplies including drinking water, food and torches ready in advance.
Konaseema collector Mahesh Kumar urged the people to remain vigilant.
He along with the Konaseema SP Rahul Meena said gale-force winds reaching speeds of 115-120kmph are expected and the people should not come out of their houses on Tuesday and Wednesday, except in emergencies.
The district administration is focusing specifically on 67 coastal villages and measures are being taken to relocate residents from cyclone-affected areas to relief centres.
Relief centres have been equipped with food, drinking water and electricity.
Nearly 2,000 mechanized boats have been moved to safer locations in the district and 88 pregnant women with expected delivery dates in the coming week have been shifted to hospitals.
NDRF teams have been deployed at Amalapuram and SDRF teams in Kothapeta while 1500 electricity staff from other districts have arrived to assist the local teams in cyclone relief operations.
The Eluru, West Godavari, East Godavari and Polavaram collectors also alerted the people on the cyclone.
