Damages due to cyclone runs in thousands of crores: Naidu

Devastating Cyclone Hudhud caused damage worth thousands of crores in the port city and other storm-hit areas of the coast, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said here today.

Eastern Power Distribution Company of Andhra Pradesh Limited alone is estimated to have suffered a loss of Rs 40,000 crore, which includes damage to substations, high-tension transmission lines, poles and disruption in distribution network.

About 16,000 electric poles were knocked down by cyclone fury that also left around 6,000 transformers damaged.

Damages to Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (Vizag steel plant) were estimated at Rs 1,000 crore, Indian Navy Rs 2,000 crore, Andhra University Rs 300 crore and Vizag airport Rs 500 crore, Naidu said.

"It's a huge loss. It's a loss that we could not expect. I will explain to Prime Minister today. It is not an ordinary loss. Roughly, Navy suffered about Rs 2,000 crores. I am thinking whether we can give a representation to PM or not. Because, if I give a low estimate then you may say that a low estimate is given," Naidu, who is camping here to oversee relief operations, told reporters.

"Everyday Rs 30 crores to Rs 40 crores turnover is lost (by Vizag steel plant). It may take 10 days to rectify. Airport suffered about Rs 500 crores loss. The road networks suffered about Rs 800 crores of losses," he said.

The water supply in Visakhapatnam would be restored by this evening, the chief minister said.

"We are procuring tankers from East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts. By evening, all would be able to take bath," he said.

"Some people are selling essential items at high prices. It is not fair to try to exploit the situation. We have taken a decision to provide packages of food items in all cyclone-hit areas," he said.

The package comprises rice, kerosene, sugar, dal, potato, onion, palm oil and chilly powder, among others.

He said vegetables would be supplied at very low rates so that their prices come down in the open market.