Cyclone Michaung: Collectors review situation, direct officers to evacuate people to safety

Villagers asked to remain indoors and not come out except during emergencies; officials ask farmers to stop harvesting of paddy

West Godavari Collector P. Prasanthi interacting with farmers who were drying the harvested paddy on the roadside in a village near Palakol on Sunday.

Collectors of coastal districts reviewed the situation ahead of Cyclone Michaung making landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coastline, and asked officials to take measures to prevent loss of life and property as heavy rainfall was predicted in several mandals of the State.

Collectors, Joint Collectors and District Revenue Officers (DROs) visited the villages and asked the people and the farmers to follow the suggestions of the special officers.

Krishna Collector P. Raja Babu on Sunday said that special officers have been appointed for Koduru, Avanigadda, Nagayalanka, Machilipatnam, Bantumilli, Kruthivennu and Mopidevi mandals.

A Command Control Room has been set up at Machilipatnam Collectorate to monitor the cyclone round-the-clock. Besides, control rooms have been arranged at the RDO and MRO offices along the coast, Mr. Raja Babu said.

West Godavari Collector P. Prasanthi has directed the Medical and Health and Revenue officers to shift pregnant women to the nearby hospitals.

Villagers staying in low-lying areas in Elamanchili, Achanta, Narsapuram and Mogalturu mandals were asked to shift to rehabilitation centres.

Ms. Prasanthi, who toured Dagguluru, Lankalakoderu, Shivadevuni Chikkala, Ballipadu, Tillampudi and other villages in Palakol mandal, took stock of the paddy stocks dried along the roads. She asked the officers to shift the stocks to Rythu Bharosa Kendras (RBKs) as heavy rainfall was predicted in the next 48 hours.

Paddy procurement

Speaking to The Hindu, Ms. Prasanthi said that offline procurement had begun from Sunday, and about 17,000 metric tonnes of harvest was procured.

“Vehicles were kept ready to shift the stocks where the crop was harvested. A control room has been arranged at Bhimavaram Collectorate to help the farmers,” the Collector said.

Nellore District Collector M. Hari Narayanan has asked the district administration to gear up to tackle the cyclone.

“As there was very heavy rainfall prediction accompanied with strong winds, people are requested not to stay in thatched huts and old houses and shift to safer places,” the Collector said.

“Villagers are requested not to come out of their homes, except during emergencies,” Mr. Hari Narayanan said.

Collector reviews facilities

Prakasam Collector A.S. Dinesh Kumar interacted with the fishermen’s families in Kothapatnam village on Sunday. He enquired about the action plan prepared by the officials to tackle Cyclone Michaung.

“People living in old houses in coastal villages would be shifted to cyclone shelters and rehabilitation centres in the district. Instructions have been given to provide drinking water, power, food and other facilities in the centres,” Mr. Dinesh Kumar said.

NTR District Collector S. Dilli Rao and Joint Collector P. Sampath Kumar reviewed the situation on agricultural operations in the district in the wake of the cyclone.

Mr. Dilli Rao appealed to the farmers not to harvest paddy crop for the next three days, and shift the harvested stocks to rice mills immediately to prevent damage.

Eluru Collector V. Prasanna Venkatesh asked farmers to shift the paddy stocks to the mills as heavy rains are likely to occur in the next two days. 

“According to the Agriculture Department officials, 18,000 metric tonnes of paddy was harvested and 7,000 metric tonnes were procured in the district. Vehicles, gunny bags and labourers have been arranged to shift the remaining stocks to mills,” Mr. Prasanna Venkatesh said on Sunday.