DoT sets up 24/7 control room as Cyclone Ditwah threatens telecom networks

The Department of Telecommunications has set up a 24/7 control room and directed service providers to ensure uninterrupted connectivity as Cyclone Ditwah approaches Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. IMD has issued yellow alerts, with heavy rains affecting several districts

New Delhi: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has taken extensive preparedness measures, including the setting up of a 24/7 Control Room to ensure telecom network resilience in view of Cyclone Ditwah over the Bay of Bengal, which is likely to hit coastal Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

The DoT control room will coordinate with service providers and facilitate prompt response through district administrations and the State Disaster Management Authority. All telecom service providers have been instructed to ensure uninterrupted network operations, adequate fuel reserves, readiness of emergency power backups, and the deployment of field response teams in vulnerable districts, according to an official statement issued on Sunday.

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As per the Standard Operating Procedure, DoT has ensured completion of Intra Circle Roaming and Cell Broadcast testing across all networks to maintain communication continuity and early warning during exigencies. DoT continues to closely monitor the situation through its control room and regular updates from TSPs to ensure uninterrupted connectivity during and after the cyclone, the statement added.

Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for several districts across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Andhra Pradesh on Sunday, warning of light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning as Cyclone Ditwah continues to influence weather conditions along the country’s east coast.

Three people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents caused by Cyclone Ditwah in Tamil Nadu. As many as 149 cattle died, and 57,000 hectares of farmland were affected in the delta districts

The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has forecast that intense downpour would be largely confined to northern Tamil Nadu on Sunday, before rainfall and surface winds begin to gradually ease from Monday. Torrential rains triggered by the cyclone battered several south coastal and delta districts of Tamil Nadu since Friday night, flooding several villages, damaging crops, and submerging salt pans.

In Andhra Pradesh, the IMD has issued a yellow alert for Nellore, Chittoor and Tirupati districts as Cyclone Ditwah triggers the possibility of heavy to extremely heavy rain and gale winds across the state. The AP state disaster management authority and NDRF have deployed teams for relief and rescue operations.