Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy today said the state government will sanction at the earliest Rs. 5 lakh to families of those who have lost their lives and livelihood due to the cyclone Gulab at the earliest. On Monday, police officials and other government officials were also pressed into service for rescue operations in the flood-hit state.
“Please don’t hesitate when it comes to money. While distributing food and water, please do not compromise on quality. Doesn’t matter if the best of the quality is given to the people. Wherever required, please open camps liberally. Don’t hesitate, money is not an issue,” said Jagan Mohan Reddy during a meeting with government officials.
The AP chief minister ordered state government officials to relocate the displaced people to relief camps and ensure best of the quality food, water and medicines are provided to them. He emphasized the officials to be more humanitarian in their approach towards the affected people.
With regards to disaster relief work, Reddy said in Vizag the pumping out of water has begun and substantiation work has already been done. He asked the officials to aggressively start the relief work in other low lying areas. Due to turbulence in the sea on account of the cyclonic storm Gulab, two fishermen from Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam died and one went missing after a boat capsized in the Bay of Bengal on Sunday.
Heavy rains lashed north coastal Andhra Pradesh under the impact of cyclonic storm ‘Gulab’ which has weakened into a deep depression after crossing the Andhra-Odisha coast, officials said on Monday. Visuals from the Vizag railway station showed that the station on Monday was partially submerged in water, and trains there have also been suspended.
The cyclone Gulab triggered record September rain in the port city Visakhapatnam, which received a 24-hour rainfall of 282 mm on Monday, an all-time record for the month of September. The last time the city recorded such heavy rain in September was in 2005 when Cyclone Pyarr, which formed in the Bay of Bengal, crossed the coast near Kalingapatnam – a track similar to that followed by Gulab.
As of Monday evening, the IMD (India Meteorological Department) issued an orange alert in north Andhra Pradesh as well as south Odisha coasts. Under the influence of cyclonic storm Gulab, Krishna district has been receiving heavy rainfall since the wee hours of Monday.
Various parts of the Srikakulam district also continued to receive heavy rainfall due to Cyclone Gulab. Several roads are submerged, trees and electricity poles are uprooted in some areas. The power supply is interrupted in most parts of the district.
The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) said ten big trees had uprooted and blocked this route, some electricity poles had also fallen, and they were cleared with the help of JCBs. Fishermen have also been advised not to venture into the sea along and off AP and Yanam coasts on Monday.
People residing in hillocks have spent sleepless nights due to fear of landslides. Many families living in those areas moved down to their friends and relatives places, for safety. GVMC Commissioner G. Srijana through social media platforms facilitated control room numbers and appealed to people to contact in case of any need for assistance.
In an alert message, Commissioner GVMC Dr G Srijana informed the citizens to contact GVMC helpline numbers 1800 4250 0009 or 0891 2869106 in case of any emergencies. Instructed all the department officials to remain vigilant.