The Hindu : National : Collectors put on alert after reports of high tides

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Friday, Apr 29, 2005

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Collectors put on alert after reports of high tides

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh Government put Collectors of coastal districts on alert following reports of high tides on Thursday morning.

The Collectors were asked to be prepared for transporting people to safer places and opening of relief camps. The Government contacted the India Meteorological Department and the National Geophysical Research Institute to find the reasons for the phenomenon.

The Revenue Minister, D. Prasada Rao, who camped in Guntur district on Thursday, told them about the report he had received during the day earlier about the high waves at Kakinada and Nizampatnam. The Government was told that there was no seismic activity in the seas having a bearing on the State. Further, there was neither a low pressure area nor depression in the Bay to cause rise in the tides.

The Commissioner for Disaster Management, Asutosh Mishra, told The Hindu that police and revenue officials were posted at Uppada village in East Godavari district to shift villagers to safer places. Night vigil would be maintained and a relief camp opened if necessary.

Experts puzzled

Experts are puzzled by the unusual phenomenon and said it needed to be studied before any conclusions could be drawn.

The Director of the Meteorological Centre here, G. Sudhakar Rao, said there was neither any seismic activity nor a weather system which could have set off such tides. It was peculiar.

The Director, National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), V.P. Dimri, said that no seismic activity was recorded in the coastal region or from areas near the coast since Wednesday.

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