It is a virtual repeat of the Hudhud experience for residents of Bhubaneswar, Puri and Cuttack in the aftermath of extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani, which left a trail of destruction in the coastal areas of Odisha.
While the wind speed recorded during Hudhud crossed 200 kmph, Fani triggered wind speeds of up to 190 kmph after making landfall near Puri on Friday. A wind speed of 260 kmph was recorded during the super cyclone of 1999 which caused heavy damage in Odisha.
Just as several hundreds of people, who could afford it, fled to Vijayawada and Hyderabad from Visakhapatnanm to escape lack of electricity and water supply in October 2014 post-Hudhud, those with the means have now opted to rush from Odisha to Visakhapatnam and nearby places which remained unaffected by Fani.
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Berhampur, which is in South Odisha, is the nearest city, a three-hour drive from Bhubaneswar, and it was relatively unaffected by Fani.
A family of four who shifted to a hotel here, said they wanted to avoid the harrowing experience of living without basic amenities in Odisha. Seeking anonymity, they blamed sluggish restoration efforts. One member said that they were completely relaxed with the luxury of no power disruption and ample availability of water.
A woman entrepreneur, who rushed to her relatives’ home at Berhampur explained that it was just a three-hour journey and that she had all comforts.
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“Visakhapatnam is just six-hour drive from Bhubaneswar. After Hudhud, many drove to Vijayawada and Hyderabad. Now we see many taking shelter in hotels and their relatives’ houses in Visakhapatnam,” Sandeep Reddy, general manager of a hotel said.
The Odisha Government struggled to supply of essential commodities and restore power and water supply in Bhubaneswar, Puri and Cuttack, the main commercial hub of the State.
Utkal Sanskrutika Samaj, a socio-cultural body, said it would mobilise funds for the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.