Vizagites might have won applauds the world-over for their resilience in fighting back after Hudhud caused unprecedented devastation crippling life for sometime, but the severe cyclone still leaves several lessons for implementation.
When the storm brought life to a standstill three years ago, the people helped each other fight back. They refrained from bursting crackers on Diwali, which came a few days after the cyclone. This led to successful hosting of mega events such as CII Partnership Summit, International Seafood Fair and International Fleet Review bringing several foreigners to the city.
“It was really amazing that the spirit with which Vizagites fought back and secured third cleanest city award in the country by bringing its greenery back and restoring normal production at industrial units within a shortest possible time,” Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu told the delegates at the just-concluded Blockchain Business Conference.
Failure analysis
Without getting complacent, the government should have undertaken a failure analysis immediately after Hudhud and prepared a manual to guide the officers and the people in facing the cyclones of this kind in future, former IAS officer E.A.S. Sarma told The Hindu .
Mr. Sarma said AP had not progressed much in consolidating 146 existing shelters along Vizag coast and setting up new ones with modern communications as per the norms. “The fisherfolk lost their houses and boats in Hudhud. The government should have helped them in building cyclone-proof shelters and sturdier boats,” he pointed out.
Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation State president G. Sambasiva Rao said, “because of the Hudhud, we came to know how to prepare our industrial structures, walls, roofs to face 250 kmph wind speed. In addition to that, how to cover the insurance 100% from all the angles from industry to boundary wall and the equipment on reinstate (rebuilding) basis.”
He said by this, if anything goes wrong because of the natural calamity, an entrepreneur could come up to start activity.
‘Take forecast seriously’
Some feel negligence in taking weather warnings seriously led to colossal loss. “Many cyclones pass through Vizag but Hudhud was forecast as a very severe cyclone. Yet many residents did not take adequate precautions like boarding up their homes and shops leading to heavy losses,” said A.V. Monish Row, president of Vizagapatam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
