Residents in south coastal Andhra Pradesh evacuated ahead of Michaung landfall
Amaravati (PTI): Nearly 900 people residing in villages along the southern coast of Andhra Pradesh have been evacuated to safety. With the severe cyclonic storm Michaung anticipated to hit Bapatla district within hours, residents have been advised against going outdoors.
Bapatla district superintendent of police Vakul Jindal told PTI that people living in thatched houses in the region have been evacuated. He said 21 cyclone shelters have been set up, even as 10 trees got uprooted and 12 bridges and culverts are overflowing in the district.
"As of now there is not much of a human impact. It is raining and a bit windy. We have cleared the uprooted trees and stopped vehicle movement at overflowing places. We are vigilant and we will see what happens and respond accordingly," Jindal said.
While some people were moved to shelters in vehicles, people living nearby walked there.
Heavy rains continue to lash several parts of Andhra Pradesh as the severe cyclonic storm Michaung' looming over the Bay of Bengal sea close to Andhra Pradesh and adjoining Tamil Nadu coasts is moving closer by the hour to its landfall area.
The Amaravati Meteorological Centre noted that the current intensity of gales near the centre of the severe cyclonic storm is 90 100 km per hour and gusting up to 110 kmph.
The weather system over west-central Bay of Bengal off Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Naud coasts moved northwards at a speed of 10 km per hour in the past six hours up to 7:30 am on Tuesday.
By that time, it lay centred near the latitude of 15.1 degrees north and longitude 80.25 degrees east, about 35 km north to northeast of Kavali, said an Amaravati Meteorological Department official in a press release.
It also lay 70 km north to northeast of Nellore, 90 km south to southwest of Bapatla, 150 km south to southwest of Machilipatnam and 230 km north of Chennai.
Incidentally, the weather system is moving northwards close to the coast and some parts of the wall cloud region already lie overland.
It is likely to move nearly northwards parallel and close to south Andhra Pradesh coast and cross it between Nellore and Machilipatnam, close to Bapatla in some hours as a severe cyclonic storm.
Michaung' is expected to cross with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph and also gusting to up to 110 kmph.
The Meteorological Department forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall, accompanied by gales in parts of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday and Wednesday. It also forecast extremely heavy rainfall in isolated places.
On Tuesday, it forecast extremely heavy rainfall, greater than 204.4 mm, in isolated places of Konaseema, West Godavari, Eluru, Krishna, NTR, Palnadu, Bapatla and Prakasam districts, along with heavy to very heavy rainfall, 115.6 mm to 204.4 mm, in parts of these districts.
Likewise, it forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of Alluri Sitharamaraju, Kakinada, East Godavari, Kadapa and Nellore districts.
Further, the Meteorological Department forecast heavy rainfall, 64.5 mm to 115.5 mm, in parts of Srikakulam, Parvathipuram Manyam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Nandyala, Annamayya and Tirupati districts.
Except for the four Rayalaseema districts of Kurnool, Anantapur, Sri Sathya Sai and Chittoor, several parts of the rest of the state are expected to be pounded by rains.
Several parts of West Godavari district have been witnessing intermittent rainfall since Sunday night.
Between 8.30 am on Monday and 6.30 am Tuesday, the Meteorological Department recorded a rainfall of 213.6 mm in Bapatla, Nellore (209.5 mm), Machilipatnam (149.3), Kavali (142.6 mm), Ongole (114.4 mm), Kakinada (59 mm) and Narasapuram (58.5), among others.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday expressed strong dissatisfaction with the FIR registered by the state police against BJP Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah over his controversial remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, calling it deficient in crucial legal elements. The court has now decided to monitor the police investigation to ensure it proceeds fairly and without external influence.
A division bench of Justices Atul Sreedharan and Anuradha Shukla noted that the FIR lacked any substantive mention of the suspect’s actions that would establish the offences under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), specifically Sections 152, 196(1)(b), and 197(1)(c). These provisions relate to acts endangering national sovereignty, disturbing communal harmony, and threatening national integration.
The court observed that Paragraph 12 of the FIR merely reproduced the court's previous order without laying down how the minister's comments constituted the registered offences. “The FIR has been registered in such a manner... so that if it is challenged under erstwhile Section 482 CrPC, the same may be quashed as it is deficient in material particulars,” the bench remarked.
To prevent what it called a "subterfuge", the court directed that its full order dated May 14 be treated as part of the FIR. The court stated it would now monitor the investigation to ensure it is conducted lawfully and impartially.
The controversy stems from Vijay Shah’s statement, where he appeared to link Col. Qureshi, a senior officer of the Indian Armed Forces, to terrorists by referring to her as their “sister”. His comments were made in the context of Operation Sindoor, a military operation against Pakistani terror targets, during which Col. Qureshi had served as a spokesperson.
“Jinhone humari betiyon ke sindoor ujade the… humne unhiki behen bhej kar ke unki aisi ki taisi karwayi,” Shah had said, a remark the court found to be not only disparaging but dangerous and communal.
The High Court had earlier called the minister's language “gutter-level” and condemned his innuendos against a decorated military officer, stating that such remarks “encourage feelings of separatist activities by imputing separatist feeling to anyone who is Muslim, thereby endangering the sovereignty or unity and integrity of India.”
Following the High Court’s stern direction, Shah issued a public apology on social media, calling Col. Sofiya Qureshi “the nation’s sister.” The state government also posted on its official handle that it was taking appropriate action in compliance with the court’s order.
However, the court made it clear that it was not satisfied with the FIR's content and expressed concern that it was framed in a way that could undermine its legal sustainability.
Meanwhile, Vijay Shah has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s suo motu direction for registering an FIR against him.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi had become a prominent face of the Indian Armed Forces during Operation Sindoor, regularly briefing the media on military actions against terror camps in Pakistan. Her professionalism and presence made her a symbol of national service and unity, leading to outrage after Shah’s disparaging remark.
The High Court has listed the matter for further hearing immediately after the court vacation. The bench emphasized that its monitoring would not interfere with the autonomy of the investigating agency, but would ensure justice is not subverted by procedural lapses or political pressure.
