The premier operational command of the Indian Navy, the city headquartered Eastern Naval Command, has retained its operational effectiveness despite being battered by the Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Hudhud that hit the city on October 12.
“The infrastructural loss at the naval base is heavy and I submitted a preliminary estimate of Rs. 2,000 crore to the government,” Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command Vice Admiral Satish Soni told The Hindu in an exclusive interaction. All the roofs covered by asbestos and other sheets were blown away and a couple of old cranes in the Naval Dockyard collapsed due to the impact of the cyclonic winds, he said.
“We cannot stop a natural calamity like cyclone from hitting us, it is a natural phenomenon on the coast and we seafarers are always ready for it, but with planning we can minimise the damage. Thanks to our meticulous planning, we have not lost any operational assets as we had taken steps to secure the fleet of 40 ships and seven submarines,” he said.
The cyclone did damage the over 50,000 trees across the naval base, these trees were as old as the base which is gearing up for its Platinum Jubilee. The falling trees snapped power lines, blocked roads and cut off all communication. Even our residential areas suffered damage but mostly minor like window panes and or doors that broke, he pointed out.
“Looking at it positively it is an opportunity for us to rebuild our infrastructure to be more cyclone proof,” Vice Admiral Soni said.
Despite having suffered losses the ENC teams were actively participating in humanitarian relief in coordination with civil administration. “With the efforts of the Navy, the airport has become operational and we have a hydrographic survey of the port and have cleared the channels enabling some commercial ships come to the harbour,” he said.
