Cyclone Hudhud brings back memories of last year's Phailin

Hyderabad: It was exactly a year ago that Cyclone Phailin, comparable to the magnitude of Cyclone Hudhud, hit the north coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh leaving two dead and heavy loss of crops.

Over a lakh of people were evacuated from Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh prior to Cyclone Phailin.

Though it was initially expected that Cyclone Phailin would hit the coast at Srikakulam, it changed its course and hit Odisha triggering heavy rains and floods, which marooned some parts of coastal districts of that state.

More than 2.5 lakh people were reportedly marooned in Odisha as a result of heavy rains and floods due to Cyclone Phailin, which claimed the lives of 30 people in various rain-related incidents.

According to a senior official of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), data of the past 100 years shows formation of depressions in Bay of Bengal during October-November which moving towards the north and northwest direction, hitting coastal parts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

"The cyclone normally occurs after the northeast monsoon is over in India. If the depression occurs during November it is most likely to hit the Bangladesh coast. If it happens during the October-November period it is most likely to hit the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha," the official said.

Over a lakh of people from low-lying areas of coastal districts in Andhra Pradesh have been evacuated after the state intensified preparations to face Cyclone Hudhud, which is expected to reach the northern coastline around Visakhapatnam by Sunday forenoon. 

Andhra Pradesh power utilities take steps to deal with cyclone impact

Hyderabad: Power utilities of Andhra Pradesh are fully geared up to face any eventuality arising out of cyclone 'Hudhud' which is on course to hit the Visakhapatnam coast by Sunday afternoon.

Ajay Jain, Secretary, Energy, along with other senior officials of his department reviewed the measures taken by the utilities with regard to power supply and restoration works, an official release said on Saturday.

The cyclone is expected to be accompanied by high speed wind and very heavy rain.

"Keeping in view the precautionary instructions received from Southern Regional Load Dispatch Centre (SRLDC), Bangalore, power utilities are on alert.

"They are ready to meet the emergency works with regard to power supply and restoration works, particularly in the districts of Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram, Visakhapatnam, West and East Godavari, under the purview of Eastern Power Distribution Company Ltd," the release said.

The Centralised Breakdown (CBD) teams are ready with necessary tools to take up the restoration works immediately.

The regular construction works have been stopped temporarily and entire manpower has been diverted on proposed restoration works, it said.

Necessary material such as transformers, poles, conductor, insulators and tower parts spares have been kept ready so that these can be shifted to the affected areas on short notice.

"Members of general public have been asked not to go near electrical installations to avoid accidents and requested to inform the nearest field officials in case of any electrical mishaps," the release said.

Diesel generator sets have been kept ready in all the sub-stations along the coastal lines, it added.