Use force, if needed, to evacuate people, AP Minister says

Vishakhapatnam: After sounding a high alert and suspending leave and holidays for all the officials, the Andhra Pradesh Government has directed the authorities to shift people by applying force, if required, from the vulnerable areas to cyclone shelters and other safe places.

 Stating that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was monitoring the situation arising out of the threat by the severe cyclonic storm Hudhud, Minister for HRD Ganta Srinivasa Rao told after a visit to the collapsed retaining wall at the Visakhapatnam fishing harbour on Saturday that they kept NDRF teams and naval helicopters ready to undertake relief and rescue operations.

 Mr. Rao said in Visakhapatnam district, they had identified 11 coastal mandals as vulnerable. Till 1 p.m., 5,140 people were shifted to relief centres and by night, 24,000 would be evacuated. “Our target is zero human and cattle casualty. Hence, we will try to convince the people in the vulnerable areas to move to safer places. If they refuse, they will be evacuated by force,” he stated.

The Minister expressed anguish over congestion at the fishing harbour due to sunken and abandoned trawlers and directed the officials concerned to hold a meeting shortly to remove them by obtaining clearance from the Visakhapatnam Port, Fisheries Department and AP Pollution Control Board.