Members of APNGOs Union and other Samaikhyandhra activists blocked minister’s convoy while raising slogans against him. They demanded that Pallam Raju resign from his post immediately and join the movement to keep the State united. They accused the minister of remaining silent when the Centre took decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh to carve out Telangana.

Police had a tough time in preventing the activists, who were holding black flags, from reaching near the minister’ car. However, the police was able to clear the way for minister by taking a few activists into custody although they were released later. INN

Ravinchandra reviewed the mitigation arrangements in coastal areas in the district with the mandal special officers, Tashildars, MPDOs through video conference from collectorate at Kakinada on Saturday. He cautioned all the officers to be high alert in view of the severity of the cyclonic affects and to be available in the respective places till the normalcy prevails. Necessary material like essential commodities, road clearing equipment, sand bags, generators, medicines have been kept ready in their respective places to use in emergency. He said that all the official teams have reached to respective places and they are on duty.

District collector Neethu Prasad said that cyclone mat affect 1.50 lakh people in the district and instructions were given to evacuate over 20,000 people to safer places from low lying areas. She further said that 40 member team of National Disaster Relief Team have arrived to district to assist in relief and rescue work.

Traffic would be regulated in Uppada beach road because of the tidal waves and also in national high way because of the Pumpa reservoir from Saturday evening onwards Efforts to evacuate 7900 families in Konaseema. Officials were on high alert to shift 26,788 members of 7900 families in the Konaseema are in Amalapuram division, in view of the cyclone. People living in low lying areas in the villages of I Polavaram, Katrenikona, Uppalaguptam, Allavaram, Mamidikuduru, Malkipuram and Sakhinetipalli mandals have been evacuated to safer places.

The District Collector visited the Uppada beach road, where the high tides affected the road and also Konapakapeta where she suggested the fishermen families to shift to safer places in view of the cyclone. INN