Following the Chief Minister’s directions, the Chief Secretary directed the Commissioner, Disaster Management and other departmental heads to take appropriate measures to prevent loss of life and property in the areas that are likely to be affected by the cyclone.

As per the IMD officials, the very severe cyclonic storm ‘Lehar’ over southeast Bay of Bengal moved westwards with a speed of 15 kmph during past six hours and lay centred over southeast Bay of Bengal about 360 km west-northwest of Port Blair, 990 km east-southeast of Machilipatnam, 920 km east-southeast of Kakinada and 870 km southeast of Kalingapatnam. The system would intensify further and move west-northwestwards and cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Machillipatnam and Kalingapatnam near Kakinada around 28th November noon.

Specialized teams of Emergency and Fire Services Dept trained in Disaster Management are being sent to districts for rescue and relief operations and to assist the District administration. All fishermen in the coastal districts have been alerted through the mobile phone database available with the Fisheries Department, not to go out to the sea for fishing in view of the Cyclone alert. There are adequate stocks of medicines with Health Department available to meet any emergency. Medical Teams being sent to the coastal districts

District Collectors have been advised to open control rooms at district, division, Mandal level and give wide publicity of the telephone numbers of the control rooms. District Collectors to appoint Supervisory officers at District, Mandal, village levels for group of villages with instructions to stay at headquarters until further orders. District Collectors are asked to take all precautionary measures and ensure that people in low lying areas are evacuated to safer places and ensure zero casualties.

The Collectors have been directed to ensure adequate stocks of essential commodities like rice and kerosene are positioned in adequate quantities in all vulnerable villages. District Collectors can draw funds under TR 27 for rescue and relief operations. The Collectors of Coastal districts are directed to instruct Joint Collectors to camp in the coastal towns to monitor and coordinate relief and rescue operations.

The District Collectors have been asked to evacuate all families living in low-lying areas vulnerable to inundation and report details of evacuation on a regular basis to DM Dept. The Commissioner, Fisheries has been asked to advise fishermen not to venture out into the sea for fishing in North Coastal districts and ensure total suspension of fishing operations in South Coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh.

The Collectors will review preparatory steps with officials of all line departments such as Fire and Emergency services, Police, Irrigation, Transport, Electricity, R&B, RWS, MA &UD, Fisheries Departments alerted. HODs of these Departments should advise their officials in the concerned districts to report to the District Collectors for further instructions.

The Collectors of above districts should adapt a warning system to caution MROs/VROs/Sarpanches of all villages of adjoining vagus/rivulets to position village revenue staff near the crossing points to prevent people from crossing the vagus/rivulets likely to experience flash floods.

The Collectors can declare holidays for schools in event of heavy rainfall as a precautionary measure after studying the situation. Collectors will make arrangement for drinking water availability including positioning of water sachets wherever needed in addition to ensuring continuous supply of power to the Water supply facilities. The District Collectors will also instruct the R&B Dept/PR Departments to keep pump-sets ready to pump out excess water in low lying/inundated places. Power saws, cutting equipment will be kept ready to clear roads of fallen trees and poles.

The District Collectors in the coastal districts may mobilise adequate number of vehicles to undertake relief operation and also to evacuate people from low lying areas in view of heavy rainfall expected from the depression/cyclone.

Army and Railway authorities are also alerted regarding the rescue and relief operations that might become necessary following ‘Lehar’ cyclone. INN