One year ago on this day, the people of the city woke up to heavy winds and rain brought in by very severe cyclonic storm Hudhud. By the end of the day the city lay devastated with a few trees or poles left standing. The trees that were standing had their leaves shredded.
One year may be long enough to forget the trauma but the non-delivery of promised relief and delays in restoration and rehabilitation has kept the memories alive. While, succour reached many in the city there were many more poor who are yet to get anything. Victims outside the city, especially those in the Agency areas, have been totally forgotten.
The administration is organising a rededication day to mark the anniversary with Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expected to participate in a public meeting on the Beach Road on Monday.
With investors’ sentiment remaining intact on the rich potential of the city, several big industrial houses are continuously showing interest in locating their projects here. However, the cyclone has taught several lessons with the compensation disbursed by the government and the insurance companies in response to the claims remaining woefully inadequate.
“For our Sarda ferroalloys unit at Kothavalasa, we claimed an insurance of Rs.20 crore after promptly paying the premium, but the settlement is only up to 50 per cent of the claim even after one year of Hudhud,” company director Neeraj Sarda said on Sunday.
Visakhapatnam Port incurred a loss of over Rs.200 crore but it has to pay a heavy price as for most of its vital installations and facilities, it didn’t have insurance coverage. “Similarly, for our warehouses most of us have no insurance,” said a stevedore.
“We have to focus on better communication facilities with backup and plan constructions to withstand a wind speed of 250 kmph to face challenges like Hudhud,” Visakhapatnam Port Chairman M.T. Krishna Babu said. Boston-based catastrophe modelling firm estimated the insurance claims after Hudhud at around Rs.2,400 crore of which 3 per cent were residential, 20 per cent commercial and 30 per cent industrial. The State government, in its representation to the Centre had put the total loss at Rs.21,908 crore.
While saluting the fighter spirit of Vizagites to bounce back, NTPC Simhadri Group General Manager A.K. Samanta said Hudhud had taught several lessons one of which was to install satellite communication system immediately at their powerhouse.
