AP: After three years no Hudhud relief funds to industries till now

Visakhapatnam: Even after three years since the severe cyclone Hudhud hit the area, the Central government is still to provide funds to Vizag-based public sector undertakings that suffered an estimated loss of around Rs 10,000 crore, as per assessment reports.  

Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited or Vizag Steel Plant suffered the most recording a loss of almost Rs 1,000 crore. Visakhapatnam Port Trust and HPCL Visakha Refinery have recorded having suffered a loss of around Rs 250 crore and Rs 108 crore respectively. The PSUs have not yet received any compensation from the Union government.

Hindustan Shipyard suffered a loss of Rs 475 crore during the disaster and received a relief fund of Rs 200 crore from the Centre three months back. 

According to sources, the funds were released because it is a loss-making PSU. The other PSUs are running in profits.

The cyclone has caused huge damage to the shipyard and the residential area. Almost all roofs were broken and the equipment badly damaged. Electric substations, roads and water lines were also damaged by Hudhud. The management immediately started repairs and restored the basic infrastructure. But, the number of trees uprooted was a long-lasting loss.

“The city has regained its green cover on its own without much intervention of the government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who visited the city soon after Hudhud, announced a relief of '1,000 crore but not a rupee has been sent so far,” CPM city secretary Dr B. Ganga Rao said.

He said, “The municipal administration needs to give houses to those who lost theirs in the cyclone. Around 26,000 houses were damaged and none of their owners was allotted a house. The government had announced 12,000 houses and received funds from corporate bodies for another 4,000 houses.” 

The local administration is also reluctant to give details on funds received so far and how they were spent, CPM leaders said.

Housing Board project director P.M.G.S. Prasad said, “Over 9,170 houses were sanctioned for the Hudhud victims of three districts. Of them, 5,468 were allotted to Vizag city. CM Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated 768 houses recently while another 1,800 houses are to be ready by December.”

However, there was no clarity from the Central government officials on funds for the industries that were affected by the calamity.  

Hudhud-hit birds make zoo premises their shelter

The Vizag zoo was badly hit by cyclone Hudhud. Birds escaped from their enclosure but many of them are not able to fly away like free birds and have made the zoo premises their shelters.  

The eye of the cyclone Hudhud passed right over the zoo damaging the vegetation and property severely. The compound wall, bird aviaries, tiger enclosures, gates, visitor’s facilities, animal rescue centre, CCTV and other basic amenities were damaged. About 40 per cent of the trees in the park area were uprooted.  

According to the damages assessment furnished by the zoo to the World Bank, some 180 birds escaped from their enclosures with the cages badly damaged.

The zoo buys additional 50-kg of a variety of fishes to feed birds that have taken shelter in the zoo premises. They come to the places near the aviary section every day.

“The greenery on the zoo premises has largely improved in the last three years. This is also proved by the fact that the birds are not flying away as they are getting good nesting place here,” said the zoo curator B. Vijaya Kumar.