GMC sets up control room

Guntur: Mayor Kovelamudi Ravindra urged the people’s representatives and officials to take all the precautionary measures to avoid human loss and property loss due to the impact of Cyclone Montha.

He addressed an emergency coordination meeting with corporators, officials and ward secretariat staff held at Venkateswara Vignana Mandiram on Sunday to review preparedness to minimise public inconvenience due to the cyclone.

GMC commissioner Puli Srinivasulu stated that as per the IMD forecast, very heavy to extremely heavy rains accompanied by strong winds are expected over the next three days. Hence, advance arrangements are being made to prevent damage within city limits. To address public grievances immediately, a 24x7 Control Room has been set up at the GMC office with dedicated staff. He said a control room was set up with phone number 0863-2345103 and WhatsApp number 9849908391. Officials were instructed to keep a special focus on 12 identified low-lying areas based on previous experiences and ensure timely evacuation and support wherever required. Rehabilitation centres are to be arranged at ward secretariat level along with other protective measures.

He emphasised that all actions must be taken strictly in line with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) issued by the Central and State Governments. Any negligence leading to untoward incidents will hold the respective officers and secretaries accountable, he warned. AP Haj Committee Chairman Sk Hasan Basha appealed to the public to cooperate with government advisories to avoid any risk to life and property. Deputy mayor Sk Sajeela instructed officials and ward secretariat staff to widely disseminate awareness among citizens regarding cyclone precautions and safety measures.