Atchannaidu orders mission zero-loss

Amaravati: Agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries minister K Atchannaidu on Tuesday directed officials to take all precautionary measures to ensure zero loss of life in view of Cyclone Arnab and minimise damage to farmers, crops, livestock and public property.

The minister held a teleconference with collectors, SPs, joint collectors and officials of various departments in Srikakulam, Parvathipuram Manyam and Dr B R Ambedkar Konaseema districts to review cyclone preparedness.

According to weather forecasts, the cyclone was likely to cross the coast near Yanam on October 28, with wind speeds of 115–125 kmph and gusts reaching up to 140 kmph. He directed officials to remain alert and shift people from coastal villages, low-lying areas, flood-prone locations and landslide-vulnerable areas to safer places in advance. He instructed the three district administrations to establish 24-hour control rooms and ensure that rehabilitation centres were equipped with food, drinking water, medical facilities and electricity.

Special protection should be provided to pregnant women, senior citizens, children and persons with disabilities. NDRF and SDRF teams should remain ready for rescue operations. Traffic should be restricted on dangerous roads, bridges and streams.

Atchannaidu stressed that protecting agricultural and horticultural crops should receive the highest priority. Harvest-ready paddy and grain stored in threshing yards should be safeguarded. Tarpaulins and warehouses should be made available at procurement centres to prevent paddy from getting wet. Drainage arrangements should be made to prevent waterlogging in paddy, maize, cotton and pulse fields. Precautionary measures should also be taken to protect banana, papaya, coconut, oil palm and mango plantations from strong winds. He directed officials to issue advance weather warnings to farmers through Rythu Seva Kendras. The minister asked officials to move livestock from flood-prone areas and keep fodder, medicines and veterinary teams ready. He called for special monitoring of the Vamsadhara and Nagavali river basins in Srikakulam, hill areas and tribal villages in Parvathipuram Manyam, and the Godavari delta, coastal areas and aquaculture ponds in Konaseema.

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