Visakhapatnam : Relief operations began in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam city and other coastal areas Monday, a day after the severe cyclonic storm Hudhud made landfall near this port city, leaving a trail of destruction all around.
With rains receding and the intensity of gales coming down, people came out of their houses, only to find that the scale of devastation was much higher than anticipated.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams with personnel from various government departments were clearing felled trees, electricity and communication poles and hoardings from roads.
Precautionary measures helped in minimising the loss of human lives– only five poeple lost their lives–, but the cyclone had damaged over thousands of acres of crops, disrupted electricity and communication networks and paralysed transport.
Visakhapatnam, also known as Vizag, bore the brunt of Hudhud, which hit its coast at 185 kmph. Hundreds of vehicles parked on roads were damaged while heavy rains inundated several colonies.
The Defence Crisis Management Group has nominated Indian Navy as the lead service for conduct of rescue and relief operations in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, under the “Op Lehar”.
A statement from the Indian Navy said naval ships Ranjit, Shivalik, Shakti and Airavat were ready to sail with relief material for 5,000 personnel.
Additionally, four more ships have been kept ready for sailing at short notice for relief operations.
Approximately 24 diving teams have been deployed in and around Vizag for relief operations.
One P8I and one Dornier were launched this morning to undertake damage assessment.
“Based on the damage assessment, Navy assets will be deployed for rescue and relief operations to best effect,” a Navy statement said.
As many as 24 teams of NDRF, two army columns, six helicopters and 56 boats have been deployed in the affected areas for rescue and relief operations.
Airport, railways and bus stations were also hit in Vizag, which remained without electricity for the second consecutive day. With the collapse of the communication networks, mobile phones are non-functional here.
Parkala Prabhakar, advisor (communications) to the state government, said 70 percent of communication towers were damaged and the employees of the service providers were unable to reach there for restoration.
With no drinking water, milk and other essential commodities, people are facing severe hardships.
Long queues of people were seen at few shops and petrol bunks that opened Monday. With roads yet to be cleared of uprooted trees, electricity poles and other debris, Road Transport Corporation has not resumed city services. People came out on two-wheelers but the petrol bunks that opened ran out of fuel.
Road and rail transport remain paralysed in the region. Uprooted trees are yet to be cleared from highways. The cyclone has damaged railway tracks.
Railway officials said a decision to resume rail services will be taken after inspection of the tracks and required repair work.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who made an aerial survey of Vizag, said 500,000 people in four districts were shifted to relief camps.
Nine teams of officials are trying to assess the damages caused by cyclone, the worst to hit Vizag in over two decades.
Naidu, who reached Vijayawada by air Sunday evening, drove to Rajahmundry. He later left for Vizag in a helicopter. He plans to camp for three to four days to supervise relief operations.
He told reporters that senior IAS officers will be deputed to Vizag and other affected areas to monitor relief operations.
The chief minister told Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh over phone that all efforts are being made to restore normalcy as early as possible.
Out of five deaths reported so far, Visakhapatnam accounted for three deaths. One person each was killed in Srikakulam and Vijayanagaram districts.
The very severe cyclonic storm has weakened into a cyclonic storm post crossing coast and is now over Chhattisgrah and adjoining South Odisha.
Presently, negligible rain and calm winds are being experienced at Visakhapatnam. However, occasional rainfall activity with associated winds gusting upto 30-40 Kmph may be experienced in and around Visakhapatnam till midnight Monday.