Naidu Directs Collectors to Stay Alert as Heavy Rain Continues in Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed district administrations in rain-affected parts of the State to remain fully alert on Thursday and Friday, with heavy rainfall expected to continue after a deep depression crossed the coast.

The instruction came during a late-night review on Wednesday, held through a teleconference with the Collectors of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Parvathipuram Manyam, Alluri Sitharama Raju, Anakapalli, West Godavari, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema, Eluru, Polavaram and Krishna districts. The Chief Minister told the officials that rainfall could intensify further following the system's movement across the coast.

Mr. Naidu asked the Collectors to visit affected areas in person whenever difficult situations arose and to resolve problems without delay. Where roads had been damaged or traffic disrupted by rainwater flow, connectivity should be restored at the earliest, he said.

Officials were told to warn residents in areas vulnerable to landslips and move them to safer locations wherever required. The Chief Minister also stressed that power supply in the affected districts should not be disrupted.

Control rooms are to be set up to gather regular updates from field staff, and any assistance sought by officials on the ground should be provided immediately. Mr. Naidu called for advance measures to prevent breaches while focusing on filling tanks, and asked the administration to continuously assess the flood situation and act according to ground conditions.

Feedback from the public is to be collected through the Interactive Voice Response System. Noting that strong winds had uprooted trees at several places, the Chief Minister directed that these be cleared immediately so that traffic was not affected.

Separately, Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister P. Narayana held a teleconference with municipal commissioners of rain-affected districts on Thursday and asked them to take all steps needed to prevent inconvenience to the public.

Mr. Narayana directed the commissioners to prevent waterlogging in low-lying areas and to keep engineering and sanitation personnel available round the clock. Silt should be removed from drains regularly so that sewage and rainwater flow is not obstructed, he said, adding that machinery must be kept ready for immediate removal of trees that might fall on roads.

Special call centres should be established at municipal offices to receive complaints and coordinate relief and response measures, the Minister said.