Phethai leaves 4 dead in AP

​Vijayawada: As feared, cyclone Phethai hit the coast at Katrenikona in East Godavari district on Monday afternoon and moved towards Odisha, killing four persons, three in Prakasam and one in Krishna, and leaving behind a trail of destruction in coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh.

Of the four deaths, three were reported from Chirala, where unable to bear cold weather N Kumari, 58, D Venkayya, 65, died in the early hours of Monday. A beggar in Vetapalem was found dead at RTC bus shelter and is suspected to have breathed his last unable to bear cold weather. In Vijayawada, N Durga Rao died when boulders crashed into his house at Christhurajapuram due to rains.

The rain that accompanied the cyclone damaged Paddy, cotton, maize, chilli and other crops. This is the harvesting time for kharif crop in coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh. Moderate to heavy rains lashed some coastal districts particularly East Godavari, West Godavari, Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram.

Winds with speed of 40 to 80 km per hour blew across the coastal districts coupled with rain resulting in destruction of infrastructure facilities like electric poles snapping power lines and communication system.

Transportation was badly affected in coastal districts as the Railways cancelled or diverted more than 80 trains and several thousand vehicles were stranded on the national highway between Vizag and Vijayawada. In all, 14 flights had been either cancelled or rescheduled at Vizag Airport due to the impact of cyclone. The state government arranged food to over 57,000 people in the rehabilitation centres in several Coastal districts and crop loss was estimated in over 14,000 hectares.

Real Time Governance Society CEO Babu A apprised the cyclone situation to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the Secretariat. The CM said the administrative machinery gained rich experience in combating cyclones after facing systems like Hud Hud and Titli. The RTGS is monitoring the cyclone from its centre in Amaravati for the last one week.

The system crossed the coast at Katrenikona in East Godavari district accompanied by gales with speed reaching up to 80 and 100 kmph and heavy rain at about 1.30 pm. Rains lashed the mandals of Pithapuram, Tallarevu, Uppada Kottapalli, Mummidivaram, Amalapuram, P Gannavaram, Kakinada urban and Kakinada rural. 

Power supply was disrupted for several hours and people remained indoors. Normal life was thrown out of gear in these mandals till evening. The weather conditions changed drastically since morning as the cyclone moved to the Coast at the speed of 20 to 30 km per hour.

Thousands of trees were uprooted, and more than 400 electrical poles had fallen in these mandals. However, the district administration swung into action and began restoring power supply in some mandals by Monday evening. Low-lying areas were inundated in Kakinada city. Paddy crop in 40,000 acres are yet to be harvested, according to agriculture department sources. 

Moderate to heavy rains damaged paddy, maize and other crops in West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam districts. The state government has made elaborate arrangements to prevent the loss of lives and to minimise the damage. More than 5,000 people were shifted to the relief camps in six mandals of East Godavari. 

Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana visited the cyclone affected areas in East Godavari district and monitored the situation. He said the State government started power restoration works in 18 mandals since Monday evening. He further said 84 JCBs, 83 generators were pressed into service to restore power in the affected areas.

Visakhapatnam district too suffered a huge loss as winds coupled with rain blew at a speed of over 60 kmph. Horticulture crops including banana, papaya, vegetables, sugarcane and paddy crops were damaged. About 3000 people living in vulnerable low-lying areas were shifted to cyclone shelters. Coastal villages of Payakaraopeta, Nakkapalle, and S Rayavaram were badly affected due to rain and gales. Nearly 20 thatched houses and asbestos roofed houses were damaged in the district. Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation opened 55 rehabilitation centers in the city limits and arranged food.

Power supply was badly affected in some mandals of Visakhapatnam. S Rayavaram, Nakkapalle, and Payakaraopeta mandals were hit by cyclone. The communication network was completely paralysed in several villages in Coastal areas. The officials are trying to restore power by Monday night. Meanwhile, met department warned of cold wave continue for another 36 hours in the coastal region.