A day after Cyclone Hudhud devastated Visakhapatnam and other nearby districts, the state government on Monday embarked on the gigantic task of restoring normalcy in the battered port city and providing access to affected villages.
Under the impact of Hudhud, that unleashed gusty winds and heavy rains, the picturesque port city of Visakhapatnam looked like a war-ravaged zone with uprooted trees, knocked down cell towers, transformers and telephone poles seen at several places.
The Visakhapatnam airport also bore the brunt of the cyclone fury with the roof over a portion being blown away due to the gales.
Communication systems and electricity broke down in the city since Saturday night and people at many places depended on the radio to know the cyclone updates.
The residents of the port city, who were confined to their homes, ventured out today with dry weather prevailing after Hudhud weakened into a deep depression over south Chhattisgarh and its neighbourhood, as per the IMD bulletin issued this morning.
Long queues were witnessed at petrol pumps and the residents sought to buy essential food items like milk.
The government has begun efforts to remove the debris and to restore normalcy in Visakhapatnam.
Besides Visakhapatnam, the other north coastal districts like Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and East Godavari have also suffered widespread damage.
According to the disaster management department of the state government, five persons, including a one-year-old baby, were killed in different rain-related incidents in the districts of Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram.
As many as five lakh people are being provided shelter in relief camps, Parakala Prabhakar, Advisor (Communications) to the AP government, told reporters in Hyderabad.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who has decided to camp in Visakhapatnam to oversee the relief operations, said in Rajahmundry that the government's priority is to restore access to all the affected villages, establishing communication networks and taking care of those provided shelter.
Naidu also undertook an aerial survey of the affected areas today.
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