Heavy clouds cover Vijayawada as cyclone 'Murasu' nears coast; flights disrupted

Andhra Pradesh on Alert as Cyclone Murasu Nears Coast; Pawan Kalyan Reviews Preparedness, IndiGo Cancels 10 Flights

Andhra Pradesh is on high alert on Monday as severe Cyclonic Storm "Murasu" in the Bay of Bengal moved towards the coast, with heavy clouds covering Vijayawada. The system is expected to cross between Nellore and Narsapuram between midnight and the early hours of Tuesday. According to the latest position, the system is about 160 km east-southeast of Nellore, 180 km northeast of Chennai, 180 km east-southeast of Kavali, 210 km southeast of Ongole and 240 km south of Machilipatnam.

Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan held a review meeting with officials from Panchayat Raj, Rural Development, and Rural Water Supply departments. He said the state has not yet fully recovered from the damage caused by the Arnab Cyclone, and directed staff to be fully prepared, according to the Deputy CM's office. He asked officials in Nellore, Prakasam, Markapuram, Bapatla and Krishna districts to remain vigilant and to evacuate people from low-lying areas to safe locations, in coordination with the police, revenue and electricity departments. Collectors of the likely affected districts have been alerted.

"Initially estimated to make landfall between Bapatla and Machilipatnam, the cyclone has now changed course and is expected to cross near Nellore, and officials explained that heavy rains are already occurring in Nellore, Prakasam, Bapatla, Tirupati, and Markapuram districts due to the cyclone's impact. According to the weather department's estimates, the cyclone is likely to cross the coast this afternoon," the office said. It said that winds blowing at 100 to 120 kilometres per hour are expected at the time of landfall, with extremely heavy rains and possibilities of flash floods. "They informed that warnings have already been issued to people in low-lying areas. As part of advance measures, they described that six NDRF and seven SDRF teams have already been kept ready," the office added.

The Deputy CM emphasised that the machinery must be prepared to effectively tackle the Murasu Cyclone just like the Arnab Cyclone, making it clear that there should be no disruptions to drinking water in villages. According to the Deputy CM's office, he directed them to participate in relief efforts in collaboration with revenue, police, and electricity departments. He instructed them to alert villagers from time to time based on warnings from the government. He noted that water flows in canals and streams near villages should be monitored regularly, and warning boards should be set up to prevent people from approaching streams with rapid flows. He ordered that utmost priority be given to sanitation in villages and that there be no water stagnation. He directed that an action plan be carried out to bleach and chlorinate immediately after the rains subside.

Kalyan urged the public to heed government warnings, cooperate with officials and stay in safe areas until the cyclone's impact subsides. Flights have also been disrupted due to the cyclone warning. IndiGo cancelled 10 flights scheduled to operate from Gannavaram Airport in Vijayawada on Monday, affecting passengers travelling to and from the city. Airport authorities advised passengers to check flight status with the airline before leaving for the airport. The airline said it was taking precautionary measures in view of possible adverse weather. (ANI)