Severe cyclone 'Laila' close to AP coast

Hyderabad,May 20: Armed forces were kept ready as the Andhra Pradesh Government braced itself to meet cyclone 'Laila', the severe cyclone which lays less than 100 km off Machilipatnam where it is expected to make a landfall later in the afternoon amid heavy rains accompanied by gusty winds in the bay lashing the coast of Andhra Pradesh since last night.Amid reports of six deaths in rain related incidents across the state, the government in a massive evacuation operations was using force, possibly for the first time, to shift the people to safer places from the remote islands in the Diviseema and Hope Island as rain battered the coastal area.Ongole and Nellore faced the brunt of more then to cm rain last night. However, they got some relief today as the cyclone moved away from the district coast, remaining stationery and moving north eastward later. Weathermen, contrary to popular speculation that 'Laila' had weakened, in fact upgraded its severe cyclone warning as nearly 600 personnel of the National Disaster Force with nearly 80 boats and concrete cutter equipment were stationed at various strategic coastal centres. Chief Minister K Rosaiah joined this morning Chief Secretary S V Prasad, who had stationed himself at the control room in the State Secretariat since last night to review the situation.With ministers sent to districts, senior IAS officials with previous experience in handling cyclone relief operations were positioned across the coastal belt. Train movement have been curtailed on advisory even as Naval helicopters have been positioned at Gannavaram Airport close to the expected landfall at Machilipatnam.
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