Three North Andhra districts gear up with control rooms and relief centres as cyclone looms

Three North Andhra districts have set up control rooms and readied relief centres as a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify into a cyclone, officials said.

Preparations

Visakhapatnam Collector M. Abhishikth Kishore convened a video call with GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg and ordered officers to stay at work. A control room opened at the Collectorate, with more planned at the GVMC office and at zonal and mandal levels. Officials will monitor reservoir levels, alert hill‑slope residents and keep relief centres stocked. Tree‑cutting machines, uninterrupted power supply from GVMC and APEPDCL, ambulances, medical teams and medicines are on standby. Pregnant women near delivery are being moved to hospitals, and fishermen, tourists and beach‑goers have been told to stay ashore. In Anakapalli, Collector Vijaya Krishnan directed identification and relocation of low‑lying and coastal residents by the evening of Oct 26. Relief centres will supply drinking water, food and medicines for chronic patients; high‑risk pregnant women will be shifted to health centres. A round‑the‑clock control room will operate from the Collectorate and staff have been barred from leave. Alluri Sitharama Raju Collector T. Nishanthi announced a control room at the Paderu Collectorate and plans for similar facilities in all mandals. Residents are urged to stay alert, call 08935‑293448 for assistance and await a decision on school holidays, which will be made on Monday after reviewing the IMD forecast.

Context

Such pre‑emptive steps are typical in Andhra Pradesh, where coastal districts often face cyclones that can cause flooding, wind damage and disruption to power and transport. Early evacuation and resource mobilisation help reduce loss of life and property.