CM conducts review meeting to fight Phailin

HYDERABAD: The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Thursday reviewed the preparations to face the braces of strong cyclone Phailin and directed the senior officials to take adequate measures in coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh. Kiran Kumar Reddy conducted a review meeting with the Revenue Minister N Raghuveera Reddy and the Chief Secretary P K Mohanty and passed the instructions to shift all people and cattle from low-lying areas, sources added.

North coastal districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam are likely to experience very heavy rain from tomorrow evening and other coastal districts would also receive heavy rainfall.

A round-the-clock control Room has been set up in Revenue (DM) Department in the Secretariat here, with telephone numbers 040-23456005/23451043 and Fax- 040-23451819, official sources added.

Disaster Management Commissioner T Radha and other top officials held a video conference with the collectors of nine coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, following directions from the Chief Minister. The Chief Secretary informed the collectors of nine districts that cyclone Phailin moved slightly north-westwards as per the latest IMD Bulletin on Thursday. It is likely that the cyclone would intensify into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours and continue to move northwestwards and cross north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coast between Kalingapatnam and Paradip by the night of 12^th October.