State machinery on high alert, says home minister

Amaravati: Home minister Vangalapudi Anitha on Monday said the state government had placed the administration on high alert in view of the possibility of Cyclone Arnab intensifying over the Bay of Bengal.

In a statement, the minister said officials of the State Disaster Management Authority and Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) were continuously monitoring the cyclone’s movement and intensity. The government’s priority was to prevent loss of life and property, particularly in coastal areas.

The cyclone is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by Monday midnight and an extremely severe cyclone by Tuesday, she said. It may cross the coast near Yanam, between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, on Wednesday morning, with wind speeds of 115–125 kmph.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and fire services personnel have been deployed in vulnerable districts to undertake rescue and relief operations.

Anitha urged people not to be complacent because of calm weather conditions and advised them to avoid travel on Tuesday and Wednesday unless absolutely necessary.

She asked coastal residents, fishermen and farmers to remain vigilant over the next three days, follow safety precautions and avoid believing rumours circulating on social media. People should rely only on official updates issued by APSDMA and RTGS, she said.

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