After the partial restoration of power supply and train services, the Andhra Government on Thursday announced the resumption of flights from Visakhapatnam, as life in the cyclone-devastated city is limping back to normalcy.
Announcing the resumption of flights, Union Minister for Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said, “This could become possible because of the commitment and dedication of the airport employees who stayed in the airport during the cyclone and protected the vital installations and equipment.”
Praising the airport staff for showing presence of mind, the Minister said that because of their alertness there was no loss of life in the airport.
A senior official of Civil Aviation Ministry said that the loss to the airport could be between Rs75 crore and Rs80 crore. The airport, which handles 20 flights, including two international ones, a day had come to a standstill due to Hudhud fury. The airport terminal building, designed to withstand wind speed up to 150 kmph, was substantially damaged in the cyclonic storm.
A Press release from the Civil Aviation Ministry said a large portion of the terminal building, including glass, roof-top covering, air-conditioning, computer system, communication systems and electrical connections, was destroyed at the terminal.
However, as a result of the precautionary measures there was no loss of life or injury to any person at the airport. Various temporary measures were being set up, such as provision of waterproof covering for the passengers,
opening of four counters for checking and food counters, the release said.
Raju said the radar antenna, which was completely damaged will be replaced and made functional within a month. The overall situation in the north coastal Andhra region, which was ravaged by cyclone Hudhud on last Sunday, continues to be grim as the focus was now shifting from the city of Visakhapatnam to the neighbouring Vizianagaram district.
Some residents of Vizianagaram described the situation worse than Visakhapatnam and rued that the spotlight was focused on Vizag as it was a bigger city. “We don’t have water, milk or power. There is still no money in ATMs”, rued Narasing Rao, a resident of Vizianagaram over phone. “The situation is very bad here”.
Conditions were equally bad in Srikakulam district bordering Odisha which had also suffered the onslaught of cyclone Phailin last year.
Though Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu visited many cyclone affected areas of Vizianagaram on Wednesday and spoke to the victims, officials said that it will take at least a week for a semblance of normalcy to return.
As the official machinery had focused its attention and resources on restoring power supply in Visakhapatnam, local officials say it will take at least one week to restore power supply in Vizianagaram as most of the transformers were destroyed and they need replacements.
Even in Visakhapatnam power has returned only partially and most of the other areas were still drowned in darkness. The residents of multi storied apartments were the worst sufferers as they were not getting even water for household requirements as pumps were not working in the absence of electricity. In some cases people were paying upto Rs 5000 per hour to get the generators on hire.
In a bid to get at leas the telecommunication network back on track, the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu held a review meeting with the telecom operators today and delivered a stern warning. “You are worried only about your profit and don’t care for the suffering of the people”, an angry Naidu told them. He said that if they had responded properly, networks could have become functional within two days. Naidu was so upset with the absence of telecom operators from his earlier review meeting that he had directed the police to arrest them and bring them to the meeting.