48 relief camps set up in Srikakulam

Srikakulam: Forty-eight rehabilitation camps have been arranged in all 12 mandals in the district in the wake of looming severe cyclone storm Fani on Wednesday.

The storm's impact will begin from May 2 noon and continue till May 3 evening. It is likely to cause huge damage in all 12 mandals of Itchapuram, Kaviti, Kanchili, Sompeta, Mandasa, Palasa, Nandigam, Santhabommali, Vajrapukotturu, Polaki, Gara and Srikakulam. All these 12 mandals covered under Itchapuram, Palasa, Tekkali, Narasannapeta and Srikakulam Assembly constituencies.

Heavy downpour is predicted with high velocity winds at a speed of 110 to 120 km for per hour.

Huge inflows are expected in Vamsadhara and Nagavali rivers in the district. District administration alerted residents of 117 villages located on either side of the Vamsadhara river, 107 villages along Nagavali and another 104 villages on the sea coast. Nine NDRF, District Disaster Response Force (DDRF) teams, 45 fire teams, 32 boat operating expert teams have been deployed in sea coast and flood zone areas.

All the drinking water schemes have been filled and generators distributed in all sea coast villages. For immediate restoration of power, expert teams are being engaged from Odisha and other states.

District collector J Nivas directed education department officials to prepare schools to provide shelter to the affected people if needed. He also directed teachers to join duties irrespective of summer vacation and provide food to affected people under midday meal scheme. The state government appointed special officers for all five Assembly constituencies of Itchapuram, Palasa, Tekkali, Narasannapeta and Srikakulam to monitor relief operations. The district collector deployed district level officers for all 12 mandals which are likely to be affected to supply essential commodities. He directed cell tower operators like BSNL, Airtel, Jio to keep generators and fuel ready to provide uninterrupted services. Joint collector K V N Chakradhara Babu, additional joint collector P Rajanikantha Rao and district revenue officer K Narendra Prasad are monitoring arrangements. Officials are urging people in affected villages to shift to safer places. All petrol bunks, civil supplies department's mandal level stock points are attached to 48 cyclone relief camps to supply essential goods without delay.