Minister for NRI Empowerment and Relations Kondapalli Srinivas. | Photo credit: File photo
The Andhra Pradesh government has set up a central control room at AP Bhavan in New Delhi and activated a 24-hour helpline (9871999430) to help Telugu people stranded in the Gulf countries due to the ongoing conflict between Israel, the US and Iran, Minister for NRI Empowerment Kondapalli Srinivas told The Hindu2 on Monday (March).
He said that all emergency calls were directly monitored at the commissionerate level of AP Bhavan to ensure immediate response.
Due to the temporary closure of airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, several Telugu passengers were stranded at transit points. “Six Telugu individuals in Bahrain and ten in Dubai have contacted the Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society (APNRT) and have been assisted. The airlines have arranged accommodation and are providing regular updates. The airports are expected to reopen on Wednesday and further travel will be facilitated once services resume,” the minister said.
The state government is also working with the Civil Aviation Department to ensure safe travel for all Telugu citizens who need support. It is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), he added.
Referring to reports that an oil tanker had been hit by a missile off the coast of Oman, Mr. Srinivas said there were 15 Indian nationals on board and all were safe. “There was not a Telugu individual among the crew,” he explained.
He said APNRT had appointed 2-3 coordinators in each major city in the Persian Gulf and they were actively coordinating with local communities.
The volunteers joined hands with the coordinators to handle the situation effectively. “We are receiving calls for help with visa extensions, accommodation, food and emergency information related to the conflict,” Mr Srinivas said, adding that no casualties of people from Andhra Pradesh have been reported so far.
APNRT president Vemuru Ravi Kumar told The Hindu that nearly 10 million people from Andhra Pradesh were residing in the Gulf countries, of which about 100 million were registered with APNRTS. He said APNRT is in constant communication with about 120 coordinators spread across the region. Mr Ravi said more calls were received from those traveling on tourist or business visas than those employed or studying in the Gulf.
“Visitors are more worried about insecurity. When they express their concerns, our coordinators take them home and arrange accommodation and food,” he said. He added that APNRT is proposing alternative flight routes from Dubai and other places in the Persian Gulf to help stranded passengers reach India once services are restored.
“The only worrisome issue is about the Telugu people who are stuck in Iran where it has been difficult to make contact due to network disruption,” said Mr. Ravi.
Published – March 2, 2026 7:53 PM IST
