A water-logged street at P&T Colony in Vijayawada on May 4, 2025.
| Photo Credit: G.N. RAO
Heavy rain, accompanied by gusty winds, wreaked havoc in Vijayawada on Sunday morning.
Residents, who had been reeling under scorching summer heat, experienced a brief relief when the weather turned pleasant. However, the climate soon changed drastically, with the cool breeze turning into strong gust of wind that uprooted large trees and toppled mammoth hoardings.
The sudden change in weather gave anxious moments to the nearly 13,000 students who were scheduled to appear for the NEET undergraduate examination at different centres across the city.
Responding swiftly, NTR district Collector G. Lakshmisha made sure that the candidates did not face any transportation issues for reaching the examination centres.
Mr. Lakshmisha, along with the NDRF and Municipal Corporation staff, carried out ground-level inspections at places such as Pinnamaneni Polyclinic Road, Nirmala Convent Junction and Hanumanpet.
He gathered information about the places where trees had fallen and hoardings collapsed, and ensured that water was drained out from the low-lying areas where logging was likely. Every route leading to the examination centers was cleared quickly to facilitate free movement of transport.
Later, addressing the media, the Collector said the the average rainfall recorded in the district over half an hour in the morning was 14.87 mm. He said in view of the forecast made by the India Meteorological Department predicting rain with thunderstorms and strong winds on the day and on April 5 (Monday), the administration had been asked to be on high alert.
He advised people to stay cautious and take appropriate safety measures, warning that trees might fall due to strong winds.
Mr. Lakshmisha said people should not park their vehicles under trees, and use safe parking spots instead. He said they should avoid going outdoors unless absolutely necessary during heavy rain.
Control room
Informing that a control room was set up at the Collectorate in case of any emergency, he said people could call ‘9154970454’ for assistance. “The unpredictable weather conditions are expected to continue for the next two days,” he added.
He advised the elderly and children to be extra cautious, and assured that the district administration would respond immediately to any issue faced by the public. The staff would be available in the control room round the clock, he added.
Published – May 05, 2025 06:38 am IST
