NDMA asks striking AP employees to return to work due to cyclone

NEW DELHI: The Vice Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) M Sasidhar Reddy today appealed to striking employees of Andhra Pradesh to resume duties taking a humanitarian view as the state faces the threat of a severe cyclone.

The cyclone heading towards Andhra Pradesh will be very severe in the next two days and affect the state as also neighbouring Odisham, he said.

Seemandhra region of Andhra Pradesh, where people are protesting against the proposed creation of Telangana, got no respite from power blackouts for the fourth day today as talks with striking government employees failed and a cyclone threat added to the worries of the state government.

Several parts of Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema continued to reel under power crisis as the electricity employees continued their strike in protest against the proposed division of AP.