Rescue teams deployed in Andhra to counter cyclone Laila
May 19th, 2010 - 10:25 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, May 19 (IANS) The central government has deployed personnel from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) along with search and rescue equipment as a precautionary measure to tackle possible damage from tropical cyclone Laila, which is likely to hit the Andhra Pradesh coast early Thursday and West Bengal by evening.
A home ministry statement said the National Disaster Management Authority has ordered deployment of the disaster management personnel Tuesday itself and the deployment was completed by Wednesday evening.
A total of 438 personnel along with 64 inflatable boats were deployed at various locations in six coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Machilipatnam, Guntur, Prakasam and Nellore.
“NDMA deployed NDRF on receipt of cyclonic warning from India Meteorological Department around 5 a.m. Tuesday and subsequent fax message from commissioners and principal secretary, Disaster Management, government of Andhra Pradesh,” said the release.
According to an IMD official, Laila will move in a northwesterly to northerly direction and cross Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Kakinada, close to Machilipatnam Thursday morning.
Widespread rainfall has been forecast over coastal Andhra Pradesh during the next 36 hours and in north Tamil Nadu during the next 24 hours.
As a precautionary measure to avoid damage from the cyclone, the Reliance Industries has also shut its crude oil and gas production plants from Krishna Godavari basin fields in the Bay of Bengal.
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- Navy rescues 11 fishermen, Andhra coast on high alert (Lead) - Dec 29, 2011
- Heavy rains lash coastal Andhra as Cyclone Laila nears the shore - May 19, 2010
- 14 killed in Andhra rains, standing crops damaged - Dec 08, 2010
- Tidal waves continue to slam Andhra coast - Dec 29, 2011
- Laila weakening as it inches closer to Andhra coast - May 20, 2010
- Two killed, crops damaged as rains lash Andhra - Dec 07, 2010
- Cyclone Laila stationary, toll up at 27 in coastal Andhra - May 21, 2010
- Respite for coastal Andhra as cyclone weakens (Lead) - May 21, 2010
- Storm Laila wreaks havoc in Andhra, heads to Orissa (Roundup) - May 20, 2010
- Laila hits Andhra coast, wrecks havoc (Second Lead) - May 20, 2010
- Disaster management teams to Mandali and Arakonam - May 19, 2010
- 'Cyclone Laila' cripples life in coastal Andhra, Tamil Nadu - May 19, 2010
- High tidal waves lash Andhra coast - Dec 28, 2011
Tags: bay of bengal, coastal districts, disaster management, disaster response, government of andhra pradesh, india meteorological department, inflatable boats, krishna godavari basin, machilipatnam, national disaster, ndma, ndrf, nellore, northerly direction, prakasam, production plants, reliance industries, response force, tropical cyclone, west bengal