Tirupati, Chittoor brace for cyclone Ditwah

Tirupati: Cyclone Ditwah intensified into a severe cyclonic storm on Sunday and is expected to cross the Tamil Nadu–South Coastal Andhra Pradesh region.

Officials said the cyclone is likely to bring widespread rainfall to Srikalahasti, Sullurpeta, Satyavedu and Gudur constituencies of Tirupati district until Monday. It is expected to show the impact in several mandals of Chittoor district as well.

With the Tirupati district under a Red alert, authorities have stepped up preparations. Tirupati District Collector Dr S Venkateswar directed RDOs in the affected areas to stay alert and coordinate with emergency departments.

He instructed officials to take precautionary measures, arrange relief operations and work to prevent loss of life and property. Police have been asked to place barricades in areas with heavy water flow to stop people from entering unsafe zones.

Staff from electricity, Panchayat Raj and medical departments have been told to remain available during the cyclone. Control rooms at Tahsildar offices will operate round the clock, and a district-level control room will begin functioning from the night of November 30.

Due to the heavy rains expected from Cyclone Ditwah, the District Collector declared a holiday on Monday, December 1, 2025, for all government, Zilla Parishad, municipal and private unaided schools, Anganwadi centres and junior colleges.

The public grievance redressal programme (PGRS) scheduled for Monday has also been cancelled in Tirupati and at mandal levels in the district.

The Tirupati district police have been placed on high alert in view of the cyclone warnings.

District SP L Subba Rayudu issued orders to ensure preparedness for any emergency. Three special rescue teams have been stationed at the district police headquarters, and each subdivision has an additional rescue team.

These teams have been equipped with lighting gear, life jackets, ropes and torches. Police officials have been instructed to alert residents living near streams, canals, rivers, lakes, reservoirs and low-lying areas. Relief camps and rehabilitation centres are being arranged in advance.

Police will be deployed on roads prone to waterlogging, and risky routes will be closed with traffic diverted to safer roads. Patrolling in riverbank areas will be increased. The SP urged the public to stay away from overflowing water bodies and said that police, revenue, fire services, NDRF and SDRF teams are ready to respond. For emergencies, people can call Dial 112 or the district control room at 80999 99977.

Chittoor district Collector Sumit Kumar directed all MPDOs, MROs and village secretariat staff to be available at their respective headquarters in view of the cyclone warning. In a teleconference with the officials on Sunday evening, he said that they should be vigilant as 168 villages in 14 mandals of the district are expected to witness the cyclone effect.

Meanwhile, Doravarisatram in Sullurpeta constituency of Tirupati district recorded 45.2 mm of rainfall till Sunday morning, followed by Pellakur with 44.4 mm. Thottambedu mandal (37.0 mm), Yerpedu (34.8 mm), Varadaiahpalem (34.2 mm) and Srikalahasti (33.2 mm) also recorded more than 30 mm. The district recorded an average rainfall of 20.6 mm till 8.30 am on Sunday.