Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government has opened 454 relief camps in seven districts which are likely to be affected by cyclonic storm ‘Asani’ in Bay of Bengal.
According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclonic storm is likely to weaken gradually into a depression by Thursday morning. The cyclonic storm is under the continuous surveillance of Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) at Machilipatnam, it said.
The state government will provide Rs2,000 to every family or Rs1,000 to every individual who comes to the relief camps.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday reviewed the cyclone situation with district collectors and superintendents of police.
He said the people from low-lying areas should be evacuated and their requirements be taken care of.
He asked the officials to equip relief camps with essential commodities and diesel generators.
“This year the cyclone can be handled better as the districts have been divided and smaller areas are being maintained,” Reddy said while referring to the creation of 13 new districts last month to take the total number to 26.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority said the cyclonic storm lay centered about 40km from Machilipatnam, 140km from Kakinada and 280km from Visakhapatnam. It is likely to make landfall near Antarvedi
Flights remain suspended
Asani, meanwhile, continues to disrupt the flight operations in Visakhapatnam and Tamil Nadu’s Chennai as all IndiGo flights were cancelled on Wednesday morning.
Air Asia also cancelled one flight from Bengaluru and one from New Delhi, said Airport Director of Visakhapatnam, K Srinivasa Rao.
“Air India is yet to decide and convey about their flight operations. SpiceJet Kolkata-Visakhapatnam-Kolkata stands cancelled, they will take a call on Hyderabad flight post 2 pm,” Rao said.
While, as many as 17 domestic flights were cancelled at Chennai airport for the second day today due to the cyclone.
Notably, 10 flights from Chennai to Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Mumbai and Jaipur were cancelled yesterday.
A total of 17 flights have been cancelled so far this morning, including 6 from Visakhapatnam, 4 from Hyderabad, 2 from Hyderabad, 2 from Rajahmundry and 1 each from Bangalore, Jaipur and Kolkata, as per the Chennai Airport Authority.
