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.