Visakhapatnam Floods: Collector Orders Round-the-Clock Relief as District Records 321.6 mm Rain
Visakhapatnam District Collector M. Abhishikth Kishore on Thursday directed officials across all departments to remain on high alert and to speed up relief, rescue and rehabilitation work, as heavy rain caused by a deep depression continued to affect the district.
According to official figures, the district recorded a cumulative average rainfall of 321.6 mm between 8.30 a.m. on September 21 and 6 p.m. on September 24.
The Collector chaired a teleconference with officials of the Revenue Department, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), the Police, Fire and Electricity departments, the Medical and Health Department and others under the aegis of the District Disaster Management Authority. He instructed them to monitor the situation round the clock and to coordinate closely with one another. Later in the evening, he inspected ground-level conditions and alerted officials stationed in the field.
Mr. Kishore directed officials to pay special attention to low-lying and vulnerable areas, and to keep residents in these zones informed about the risks. He asked the GVMC and the electricity department to expedite the clearing of fallen trees and the restoration of power supply.
Revenue officials were instructed to continue shifting affected families to rehabilitation centres set up in cyclone shelters and community halls, where arrangements for shelter, food, drinking water and emergency medical care have been made.
Officials informed the Collector that of the 129 rain-related complaints received by the GVMC, 117 had been resolved, and that 73 fallen trees had been removed from roads to restore traffic. The Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (APEPDCL) reported that 22 electricity feeders were affected, and that 2.46 km of 11-kV conductor wire had been damaged and subsequently repaired.
Preliminary assessments showed that four hectares of banana crop had been damaged in Anandapuram and Bheemunipatnam mandals. Eleven houses were damaged — four fully and seven partially — while about 55 km of Roads and Buildings Department roads were affected.
Mr. Kishore ordered field-level assessments of crop and property damage to be carried out without delay, and directed officials to prioritise repairs to damaged roads and electricity infrastructure.
Appealing to the public, the Collector asked residents to stay indoors unless it was essential to step out, until the rain and the impact of the depression had subsided fully. He advised people to keep away from overflowing canals and streams, low-lying areas, landslide-prone zones, electric poles and snapped power lines, and urged them to alert the administration promptly in case of an emergency.
A deep depression is a weather system with sustained wind speeds of 51 to 62 kmph, one stage below a cyclonic storm. Such systems can bring very heavy rain over a wide area and are monitored closely by the India Meteorological Department.
Helpline numbers
For assistance, residents can contact the Collectorate control room at 0891-2590100 or 0891-2590102; the GVMC toll-free number 1800-425-00009 or its WhatsApp helpline 9014218870; the APEPDCL helpline 7382299975; medical emergency numbers 8331093136 and 9010292576; and Fire Services at 101 or 0891-2563582. The Revenue Divisional Officers of Visakhapatnam and Bheemunipatnam can be reached at 0891-2562977 and 9014093139 respectively.
