Cyclone Murasu lashes coastal Nellore; 13 mandals on high alert

Nellore: Coastal Nellore district faced full force of severe cyclonic storm Murasu on Monday as torrential rains and strong winds disrupted normal life across the region. Authorities have placed 13 coastal mandals on alert: Kavali, Bogolu, Allur, Kodavalur, Vidavalur, Indukurupeta, TP Gudur, Muthukur, Kodur, Venkatachalam, Chittamur, Kota and Vakadu. The district administration declared a holiday for all educational institutions, including Vikrama Simhapuri University. Government employees were directed not to avail leave and remain available for emergency duties. Beaches at Koduru, Mypadu and Chennarayunipalem are proposed to be closed to keep visitors away from the increasingly turbulent sea.

Somasila reservoir currently holds 19.746 TMC ft against its full capacity of 78.988 TMC ft, with further inflows expected from heavy rains in Rayalaseema upper reaches.

District Collector Himanshu Shukla appealed to fishermen to stay ashore and return immediately if already at sea.

All revenue and police officials in coastal mandals were ordered to remain at their headquarters. Preparations are underway to evacuate residents living near seashore if the cyclone intensifies. Officials are also monitoring nearly 1,300 interconnected irrigation tanks, known as Golusukattu Cheruvulu, many of which are overflowing and pose a flood risk.

Drawing lessons from Cyclone Montha, police will deploy personnel near streams to prevent crossings. One NDRF team in Nellore and one SDRF team in Kavali are on standby for rescue operations. The sea has turned particularly rough near Mypadu village.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

M Srinivasa Rao

M Srinivasa Rao[email protected]

M Srinivasa Rao is Staff Reporter for SPSR Nellore District for The Hans India. A seasoned journalist with over 32 years of experience in both English and Telugu journalism. Throughout his career, he has worked with leading Telugu dailies, including Udayam, Andhra Jyothi, and Andhra Prabha, as well as prominent English newspapers such as The Indian Express. He began his journalistic career with Udayam in Tirupati, Chittoor district, where he worked from 1990 to 1992. He then served with Andhra Jyothi and Andhra Prabha in SPSR Nellore district from 1992 to 2006. From 2007 to 2016, he worked as a Staff Reporter for The Indian Express in SPSR Nellore district. Between 2016 and 2019, he was associated with The Hans India in YSR Kadapa district. Over the course of his three-decade-long career, Srinivasa Rao has extensively covered a wide range of beats, with particular expertise in social, economic, crime, and political affairs. He is passionate about reporting on current issues that have a significant impact on society and public life. He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) degree from Sri Venkateswara University in 1985.

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