Hudhud relief: World Bank, ADB offer assistance for rehabilitation works

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday said the World Bank and Asian Development Bank have offered assistance for rehabilitation of people and construction of infrastructure affected by devastating cyclone 'Hudhud' which hit the north coastal districts of the state in October.

The World Bank Country Director Omno Ruhl and ADB Country Director Theresa Kho called on state Chief Secretary I Y R Krishna Rao at the secretariat for an update on the relief and rehabilitation works in the aftermath of the cyclonic devastation, a state government release said on Wednesday.

A World Bank team led by Tarun Bajaj, Joint Secretary (MI), Department of Economic Affairs, participated in hour-long presentations by secretaries on the rehabilitation works, it said.

The chief secretary convened a meeting of secretaries of all departments connected with the rehabilitation and relief works to apprise the World Bank delegation on the task ahead.

Senior officials of Energy, Infrastructure, Housing, R&B, Forest, MA&UD, Panchayat Raj and Irrigation departments, among others, made presentations on the impact of cyclone 'Hudhud' and loss of public property.

The World Bank/ADB officials are on a mission to assess the damages caused by the cyclone and to offer assistance for rehabilitation and construction of infrastructure, the release said.

"World Bank/ADB officials promised to take the dialogue further and prepare a roadmap project for assisting the cyclone-affected areas with special focus on priority areas suggested by the AP government," it said.

Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts bore the brunt of 'Hudhud' which caused extensive damage to infrastructure, crops.

Nearly 50 people had died in cyclone-related incidents.