North Andhra on toes

Visakhapatnam/ Vizianagaram/ Srikakulam: The IMD officials notified that a deep depression in Bay of Bengal is going to intensify into Cyclone Gulab in the next 12 hours.

It is likely to cross coast around Kalingapatnam on Sunday evening. Under its influence, heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated extremely heavy rainfall is likely to be witnessed across Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts.

Isolated heavy rains likely to occur in other parts of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh. Squally winds of speed reaching 75 to 85 kmph gusting to 95 kmph over West Central Bay of Bengal off Andhra Pradesh coast. Tidal waves of 0.5 m height above astronomical tide likely over Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts.

Meanwhile, the district administration and civic body alerted the fishermen not to venture into the sea till September 27 as the impact of the cyclone is likely to continue for the next two days.

Further, the district administration cancelled the leave of all the staff and instructed them to take precautionary measures in respective localities, owing to cyclone alert.

Instructions were also given to the mobile operators to make necessary arrangements for uninterrupted communication. In case of emergency, Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and NDRF would chip in for rescue operations.

In Vizianagaram, the district administration is gearing up to face any emergency like situation in connection in the wake of cyclone threat, which is expected to bring thundershowers along with gales till September 28.

District Collector A Surya Kumari alerted all the officials of water resources and revenue departments and people residing in coastal villages to be cautious and advised the fishermen not to go into sea for fishing.

Control rooms also were established at revenue divisional offices, the Collector's office along with the seashore mandals Bhogapuram and Pusapatirega, the sea shore mandals to receive calls from public.

Control room at Collector's office: 08922-236947, RDO office VIzianagaram: 08922-276888, Sub-Collector's office, Parvathipuram: 08963-222236, Fisheries control room : 08922-273812, Bhogapuram: 8074400947 and Pusapatirega: 7036763036

In Srikakulam, cyclone alert was sounded in in the wake of warning issued by the IMD. District Collector Shrikesh B Lathkar held a review meeting with the officials on the precautionary measures on Saturday. Control rooms were set up at three revenue divisional offices and also at all the 38 mandal tahasildar offices across the district.

Two national disaster response force (NDRF) teams were deployed at Kalingapatnam and Kaviti coast in the district.