Cyclone-prone AP must focus on disaster management

A seminar on ‘Cyclones - Scientific Examination’ was jointly organised by the botany and zoology departments of the Kakaraparti Bhavanarayana College (KBN) recently.

Presiding over the seminar, KPR Murthy, former professor of the meteorology department of Acharya Nagarjuna University, said, “Cyclones generally wreak havoc. It is evident with the Hudhud cyclone, which devastated the northern parts of coastal Andhra. Visakhapatnam bore the brunt of the cyclone due to the abnormal increase in the pollution levels in the city. It was the most severe cyclonic storm that hit Andhra Pradesh after the Diviseema cyclone in 1977.”

“The loss of life and property due to cyclones can be mitigated to a certain extent by taking effective disaster management measures. The State government should evolve a comprehensive disaster management plan to mitigate loss of life and property by taking the Hudhud cyclone as a lesson as the coastal Andhra is more prone to cyclones,” Murthy added.

V Narayana Rao, principal, KBN College, underlined the need to curb environmental pollution to prevent natural calamities. Zoology department head V Subhashini, faculty members T Sambasiva Rao and P Surya Kumari were present.