Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has urged officials into action and restoration work has begun on a massive scale. Priority is to restore power supply with new poles installed and power cables being laid.
Around 20 per cent of power supply restoration work has been completed in the city and around 10 per cent in districts, Principal Secretary (Energy) Ajay Jain said.
The Visakhapatnam Steel Plant has been fired up.
Difficult to estimate While milk supply is being increased, the government is trying to hand over a package of essentials at a reasonable price to all the affected households.
The magnitude of the devastation caused by the cyclone Hudhud that hit Visakhapatnam and other north costal districts on Sunday was so massive that it was difficult to immediately estimate the loss, Mr. Naidu said.
“It’s difficult to say whether the loss is Rs. 60,000 crore or Rs. 70,000 crore. Senior officers will enumerate the loss and we can estimate the loss only after the completion of enumeration process,” Mr. Naidu told reporters.
CS monitoring situation Chief Secretary has been monitoring the situation in the cyclone-devastated Visakhapatnam, he said.
“We will integrate the best technology with human intellect to secure best results,” Mr. Naidu said on the measures to be taken to put Visakhapatnam back on rails.
Thanking the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, for the way he responded post cyclone by getting the situation monitored by the Union Cabinet Secretary himself, Mr. Naidu said for the first time a Prime Minister responded in such a positive manner to a devastation caused by a cyclone.
A great momentum was generated by Prime Minister’s concern and his visit to the city on Tuesday, he said. A blue book would be prepared on the way the devastation was overcome, which would be helpful in tackling similar situations in other places in future.
Mr. Naidu, who decided to stay in the city till normalcy was restored, said that with great difficulty he managed to come to the city a day after the Hudhud struck and was able to monitor the situation, thanks to everyone cooperating with the government.
“For the first time, a city was devastated by a cyclone, but the officers, who worked hard, could restore water supply in 48 hours, ease fuel supply problem, distribute six lakh food packets and carry out many other relief works. We will make people of Visakhapatnam happy with our efforts,” Mr. Naidu said.
