21 Dead in Cyclone Hudhud, PM Modi in Visakhapatnam to Make Aerial Survey

Cyclone_Hudhud_damage_Visakhapatnam_650_PTI_14Oct14VISAKHAPATNAM, SRIKAKULAM :  Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed this afternoon at Visakhapatnam’s severely damaged airport and will make an aerial survey of areas hit by Cyclone Hudhud, which killed at least 21 people in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. PM to personally assess the massive devastation caused by Cyclone Hudhud and will undertake an aerial survey of the affected areas.
Modi arrived at around 1:40 pm and was received by Andhra Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, central government ministers M Venkaiah Naidu and Ashok Gajapati Raju.Soon after his arrival, he inspected the damaged facility of Visakhapatnam Airport and is scheduled to visit the beach and other affected parts of the city later today.
 Visakhapatnam or Vizag, was hit worst by the cyclone. Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, who has been supervising rescue and relief operations in this key port town, is accompanying the PM on his aerial tour.Mr Naidu has ordered officials to work round the clock to ensure that power and phone services are restored soon in Vizag. “I have asked the police to arrest them and bring them to the meetings to review the situation,” he told Reporters.
Mr Modi will also hold a review meeting at the office of the Vizag district collector. Mr Naidu had earlier written to Mr Modi requesting that the Centre declare the cyclone a national calamity and provide Rs.2,000 crore as interim relief.Vizag resembled a war zone after the cyclone hit, with about 80 per cent of its trees uprooted, massive hoardings torn apart and statues felled. Roads were cleared by Monday evening and the national highway to Vijayawada was opened.
Rail operations may begin today after the tracks are repaired.There are long queues at petrol pumps though the authorities have announced that they have fuel supplies to last 15 days and so there is no need to panic or hoard.
The Chandrababu Naidu government in Andhra Pradesh has formed five special teams to look after health, restoration, relief, power and sanitation in the cyclone-hit districts of Visakhapatnam, Vijayanagaram and Srikakulam.The rural areas of Andhra Pradesh, including Srikakulam, have suffered huge crop damage.In Odisha, power supply has been restored in the four worst-hit districts. The government says the main worry now is flooding due to constant rains.
Over 5 lakh people were evacuated in both states. But with many people losing their homes, cyclone relief centres will continue to run for now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *