Modi to make aerial survey of Hudhud-hit areas

Two days after cyclone Hudhud hit the coast near Visakhapatnam, relief and restoration work was on Tuesday intensified in Odisha even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was slated to conduct aerial surveys of calamity-hit parts of the state.

Modi, who is scheduled to visit Visakhapatnam for a first hand assessment of the situation in Andhra Pradesh, is also slated to make an aerial survey over southern Odisha districts hit by the cyclone.

As life was limping back to normal in the four worst hit tribal-dominated districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Raygada and Gajapati, the authorities were working on a war footing to put things back on the rail in affected areas where Hudhud damaged about 80,000 houses, power infrastructure and roads, the sources said.

As the very severe cyclonic storm hit Visakhapatanam on Sunday noon, the calamity had its impact on the southern region of Odisha close to Andhra Pradesh.

“Four districts — Gajapati, Koraput, Malkangiri and Rayagada -- were badly hit by the cyclone while there is little impact on other southern districts like Ganjam, Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Nabarangpur,” Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P.K. Mohapatra said.

According to preliminary reports, 25,000 ‘kutchha’ houses were damaged in Koraput district, 15,000 houses in Gajapati, 7,000 in Rayagada and 1,000 houses in Malkagiri, the SRC said, adding reports from other districts were awaited.

“Many evacuated people left for their homes yesterday as the intensity of cyclone died down,” Deputy Special Relief Commissioner Pravat Ranjan Mohapatra said.

As the wind speed was about 100 kmph when the cyclone passed Odisha, there has been substantial damage to electrical infrastructures, Energy Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra said, adding as many as 24 transformers, 75 KM long low tension wire and 600 electric poles were damaged.

“Within 12 hours, we have been able to provide power supply to all district and block headquarter towns. More than 60 per cent of the affected people have now got electricity supply. It would be fully restored within two days,” Mohapatra said.

The State government also claimed that roads have been mostly cleared with the assistance of NDRF, ODRAF and Fire Services teams, the SRC said, adding repair of roads, culverts and other infrastructure were on war footing.

Bus and train services were also gradually becoming normal.