VISAKHAPATNAM: The district administration has directed the police not to allow the public onto the beach from Wednesday until the extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani crosses Visakhapatnam. About 15 swimmers have been deployed along with police personnel across the entire stretch of the beach.

Fani has already started showing its impact on Visakhapatnam with heavy waves and strong winds hitting the beach. Seven mandals — Bheemili, Atchyutapuram, Parawada, Pedagentyada, Gajuwaka, Visakha rural and Visakha urban — are expected to experience heavy rains and relief camps will be opened at 65 identified vulnerable villages in the mandals. With heavy rains likely from May 2 afternoon, all the relief centres have been equipped with food, power generators, toilets and essentials.

Earlier, District Collector K Bhaskar held a meeting with mandal officers and telecom operators on cyclone preparedness to avoid loss of life and damage to property. Since the storm is expected to be accompanied with gales at speeds reaching up 150 kmph and 160 kmph and heavy rainfall between 3 cm and 10 cm, all the people living in hutments will be shifted to relief centres. “Staff of all departments are on duty 24x7 to handle the situation,” he said.

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He directed the operators to strengthen their teams to avoid damage to network connectivity. Diesel generators must be kept ready in case of power disruption, especially between Bheemili and Yellamanchili. Equipment has been kept ready to clear road blockages among others. 

OSDs appointed for 11 mandals

The Deputy Collectors have been appointed as officers on special duty (OSD) for 11 coastal mandals of the district, which are likely to experience heavy rain due to cyclonic storm Fani on  Wednesday.  The OSDs and their place of posting are: J Radhakrishna Murthy-Atchutapuram (mobile no:  9705119777/ 9502725888, M. Venkateswara Rao-Bheemunipatnam (9441226393), D. Raju- Gajuwaka (7013108047), P Gopal Rao-Nakkapalli (9849903829), K Padma-Parawada (6309900650), P  Padmavathi-Payakaraopeta (9493447797), A Geethanjali-Pedagantyada (9849909079), G  Suryanarayana Reddy-Rambilli (9618827134), D Manorama-S Rayavaram (7095599013), TEM Raju- Visakhapatnam rural (9398567858) and S Srinivasa Murthy-Visakhapatnam urban-Seetammadhara and MR Peta (9492000367)