The state is on high alert as the cyclone Phailin claims 1 life. Relief operations are in full swing.
The Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday confirmed 1 death due to the impact of the Phailin cyclone.
A 60-year-old woman, Chakali Muthyalu, died due to a wall collapse at Buddepupeta in Srikakulam district. The enumeration of damage to houses and crops is still on. The cyclone has caused immense damage to infrastructure in this region. 33 KV feeders (40), 11 KV feeders (287) and 33 KV/11 KV sub-station (84) were affected. A few of them have been rectified.
Chief Secretary Dr. P K Mohanty, who reviewed the cyclone situation on Sunday, informed that "as per the IMD Bulletin issued at 8.30am on Sunday, the very severe cyclonic storm, Phailin over Odisha moved northwards during past 3 hours with a speed of 20 kmph and lay centred at 5.30am IST on October 13, 2013, over Odisha near the latitude 20.50 N and longitude 84.50 E, close to Phulbani."
"The system would move northwards for some more time and weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm by the noon of today, and into a deep depression by the evening of today," the IMD bulletin said. Under the impact, rainfall at most places with isolated heavy to very heavy falls would occur over north coastal AP during the next 24 hours, and over Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Gangetic West Bengal during the next 48 hrs. The gale wind speed of 130-140 kmph prevailing at 5.30am IST would gradually decrease to 80-90 kmph by noon and further to 50- 60 kmph by the evening of today over Odisha.
Heavy rainfall was reported in Srikakulam district with 5 mandals receiving 100 mm of rainfall and around 50 to 100 mm in 11 mandals. Ichapuram received the maximum rainfall of 198 mm followed by Kaviti (154 mm), Kothahali (147 mm), Sompeta (107 mm) and Kothabommali (108 mm). Vizianagaram district received 10 mm of rainfall.
As many as 1.29 lakh people have been evacuated from 294 villages in 3 districts. Of them 85,000 are from Srikakulam, 20,100 from Vizianagaram, and 24,000 from Visakhapatnam. They have been shifted to 115 relief camps set up across the 3 districts.
The Chief Secretary said that round the clock control rooms with telephones and other facilities have been opened at state / district/ mandal levels. Senior IAS Officers have been stationed as special Officers to assist the district administration in rescue and relief operations. As many as 19 teams of NDRF (National Disaster Response Force), 40 personnel each with 4 boats (with each team) for rescue, evacuation equipments are drafted for relief duty.
5 columns of Army personnel (5X110) with engineers, communication specialists and medical teams with all equipment including boats are being sent. 2 helicopters provided by the Centre from Hakimpet have been deployed and 8 more have been requisitioned. As many as 150 fire personnel have been positioned in Srikakulam.
Dr. P K Mohanty added that the Centre's funds of Rs 220.89 crore have been received towards the first installment of Centre's 75% share under the "State Disaster Response Fund". These funds are available for temporary relief, rescue and restoration operations of immediate nature as per norms. (INN)