On the fifth day of relief work, rescue workers including personnel
from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were busy removing trees,
electricity poles and other debris from the roads in and around this
port city and surrounding districts.
Andhra Pradesh Chief
Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu told reporters here Friday morning that
the road clearing work will be completed by the evening.
Most
parts of the city and neighbouring Vijayanagaram district remained
without electricity for nearly a week. Authorities were supplying power
to a few areas for last two days by making alternate arrangements.
Employees
of Andhra Pradesh Transmission Corporation were continuing their
frantic efforts to restore the electricity supply. The officials are
confident that 90 percent of supply will be restored in two days. The
state government is supplying vegetables, milk and other essential
commodities to this city from other districts.
Naidu said due to logistic problems, rice could not be supplied to
the city but assured people that every family will get rice, kerosene,
edible oil, pulses, sugar and salt at government-run ration shops by
Friday evening.
Authorities continued to supply water through
tankers. Minister for Municipal Administration P. Narayana said drinking
water supply will be restored by evening.
Mobile phone service
providers joined hands to restore mobile services in the city. Leading
mobile operators Aircel, Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular and Vodafone are
working jointly to completely restore the services.
Bharti Airtel
Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal on Thursday reached this port city to meet
Naidu, who is camping here since Monday to monitor relief operations.
Naidu praised the mobile companies for providing 30 minute free talk
time to customers in the affected districts.
The operators are
also offering an advance talk time facility up to Rs 50. Inter operator
roaming has also been configured helping customers of both operators to
make and receive calls.
The devastating cyclone claimed 32 lives
and injured 43 in three districts of Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and
Vijayanagaram and caused massive damage to electricity, communication,
roads and other infrastructure.
Visakhapatnam, the biggest city
in the state and an industrial hub, bore the brunt of the cyclone.
Indian navy, port, airport and many other central government
establishments suffered massive damage. The city also lost 70 percent of
its green cover with gales knocking down hundreds of trees.
Source: India City News and Online Hindi Newspaper
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