The district administration is also working on alerting people living in coastal areas, by asking them not to venture into the sea for fishing in case of adverse weather and to warn people living close to the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP). The alert mechanism is the same and the system is in place. We have to enable geofencing for localities that are primarily in Radhapuram Taluk. Their mobile numbers have to be entered in the system. The process will be initiated soon. However, this will only be helpful in alerting those on the shore or within range from land, said collector Sandeep Nanduri. Fishermen have welcomed the district administration’s proposed warning system. Prasanth, a fisherman of Kuthenkuly village, said that they get information about low pressure, high tide and rough sea by calling a toll free number of a private agency or check for winds online. We also get calls twice a day from the private agency on weather, he said. But this only reached those who have registered with the private agency for the free alerts. Now, fishermen get direct alerts from the government only when there is a cyclone. But it is not the only factor that affects us. If the district administration is initiating a mobile based alert system, everyone will get the alert simultaneously and benefit, he added. On disaster alert system for KKNPP, the collector said that this will be planned in villages of Radhapuram and Vallioor taluks in coordination with KKNPP. He said that people living in villages within a radius of 16km from the plant, where emergency drills are conducted, will be covered in the first phase and those within a 30km radius in the second phase.