Speeding up the efforts to restore normalcy in the cyclone-hit areas of Visakhapatnam, Indian Air Force on Wednesday plunged into action launching “Operation Vizag”.
A gigantic C-77 transport aircraft landed in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday with a massive load of relief material including what was required for repairing and restoring roads. The cargo included three JCB required for repairing the roads.
Meanwhile, the death toll in Hudhud cyclone mounted to 35. While Vizag recorded 25 deaths, 8 died in neighbouring district of Vizianagaram. Two deaths were reported from Srikakulam. 43 others were injured.
According to the preliminary assessment by the authorities, 7871 houses were fully or partially damaged by the cyclone. Crop over an area of 1.82 lakh hectares was damaged. Roads were damaged to the extent of 2,250 kms and 8,439 electricity poles were uprooted or damaged by the cyclone. 73 villages remain cut off from outside.
State Secretary of Energy Department Ajay Jain said that the power sector itself has suffered a loss of Rs1000 crore in the cyclone. “It will take another four, five days to fully restore power supply in the affected areas. In Visakhapatnam power will be fully restored in next 48 hours”, he said.
Around 15,000 transformers were damaged in three cyclone-hit districts, he said. Arrangements were made to supply power at four places to pump houses for drinking water supply. Similarly power supply to railway line was also restored. But stagnation of water at many places was delaying putting up new electricity poles.
Union Minister for Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu said that very soon Central team will reach Visakhapatnam to assess the damages caused by cyclone. “It is unfortunate that even before the loss caused to the State by bifurcation could be compensated, this natural calamity hit Visakhapatnam”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed that every possible help should be extended to Visakhapatnam, Naidu told media in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Meanwhile Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday shifted his attention from Visakhapatnam to Vizianagaram. Naidu who went around the cyclone hit areas of Tippavalasa and Konada talked to the people and directed the officials to speed up the relief operations.
Naidu told the media that the mobile communications were restored in Visakhapatnam today. On Tuesday he had come down heavily on the mobile companies for not taking quick action to restore the service and even not attending the review meeting he had called.
“We are taking measures on war footing to restore the normalcy in the city including the power supply”, CM told the media. He thanked the Prime Minister Narendar Modi for his quick response to the cyclone in Andhra Pradesh. “He praised the precautionary measures taken by the state government and said that it should be taken as a role model by others”, Naidu said.
In view of the public outcry over the fleecing by the traders, the government had activated the machinery to closely monitor the prices in local vegetable markets.