Over 9,400 people living along the Bay of Bengal coast in SPS Nellore district were evacuated to relief camps earlier in the day as 'Vardah' was set to make landfall between Sriharikota and Chennai. The severe cyclonic storm finally made a landfall near Chennai in evening.
As many as 18 fishermen from Tamil Nadu, who strayed into the Bay of Bengal yesterday despite warnings, were rescued near the Sriharikota high altitude range in afternoon.
He asked the state officials to speak to their Tamil Nadu counterparts and provide required assistance.
With forecast of heavy rains for the next 24 hours in Nellore, Chittoor, Prakasam and Anantapuramu districts, the official machinery has been asked to remain on alert, mostly to prevent breach of tanks.
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Temple town Tirupati and Tirumala Hills received heavy rainfall as also Nellore town, paralysing normal life.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Executive Officer D Sambasiva Rao, who has been monitoring the situation, asked the temple staff to ensure pilgrims visiting the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara did not face any inconvenience.
Heavy rain, coupled with gale, disrupted power supply in seven mandals in Chittoor and Nellore districts as electricity poles were uprooted.
Sullurpeta town and 11 villages in the mandal suffered complete power outage even as the AP Southern Power Distribution Company personnel swung into action to carry out restoration works on a war footing.
The CM held a teleconference with all officials concerned and directed them to ensure all repair works to the power systems were completed at the earliest.
By evening, however, the overturned tanker was removed and the road cleared.
Municipal Administration Minister P Narayana, who is camping in Nellore to oversee the rescue and relief operations, said in afternoon that Vakadu and Tada received 4.8 and 3 cms of rain respectively, since today morning.
"We have already moved over 9,400 persons in seven vulnerable mandals to safety. All necessary measures have been taken to ensure safety of people," he said.
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