With rehab centres, rescue teams ready, Vizag braces for Jawad

Visakhapatnam: As cyclone Jawad is expected to intensify across the coast of North Andhra and Odisha on December 4, denizens indulge in panic buying and stock up milk, vegetables and other essential supplies in advance.

As a result, retails stores, rythu bazaars and supermarkets witness heavy rush on Friday.

Meanwhile, tourist spots will remain closed for visitors for the next two days as district administration gears up with a host of precautionary measures. As a part of it, District Collector A Mallikarjuna declared holiday for schools until Saturday.

NDRF and SDRF teams, including three NDRF teams and 45 SDRF personnel, were deployed across the district to deal with the cyclone rescue operations.

According to the officials, 21 cyclone rehabilitation centres were facilitated within GVMC limits.

This apart, seven reservoirs will be monitored in the district and the water levels will be checked at regular intervals. Irrigation officials were instructed to release water from the reservoirs in case of any emergency.

Officials from the GVMC, Revenue, Police, Panchayat Raj, R&B and other departments are being alerted through the WhatsApp groups about the situation from time to time. "We are ready to seek help from the Navy and Coast Guard during the cyclonic storm and naval helicopters are kept ready to take up relief operations," the Collector said.

A control room has been set up at the Collectorate for the public use. One can contact 0891-2590100, 2590102, 2750089 and 2750090 to reach the control room.

IN ships and aircraft standby for rescue and relief ops

Meanwhile, Headquarters, Eastern Naval Command (ENC) and Naval Officers-in-Charge at Andhra Pradesh and Odisha area have carried out preparatory activities to combat the effects of the cyclone and in constant liaison with the state administrations for rendering assistance in times of need.

In connection with its preparedness, 13 flood relief teams and four diving teams are kept on standby to be deployed for assisting in the rescue and relief operations. Meanwhile, three FRT and two diving teams have been dispatched to Odisha from Visakhapatnam to augment the existing resources.

Four ships are on standby with humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) bricks, diving, and medical teams to render assistance in the most affected areas along the AP and Odisha coast. Naval aircraft are kept ready at naval air stations, INS Dega at Visakhapatnam and INS Rajali near Chennai to undertake aerial surveys of the most affected areas, casualty evacuation and airdrop of relief material as required.

Waltair Division

Waltair Division gears up its entire men and machinery to face the Cyclone Jawad.

Keeping the calamity in view, more than 95 train services running over Waltair Division and East Coast Railway stay cancelled. Besides, in order to prevent loss of life and damage to property, the safety department has also reiterated disaster management guidelines.

Emergency response teams like medical relief vans, accident relief trains and tower wagons are put on high alert and readiness for immediate turnout in case of any contingency. Sufficient stock of essential commodities, drinking water and other packed food items kept at stations in the affected region to tackle the situation.