Rising against the elements

Those who love it have constantly referred to it as “a city of destiny” — namely, one singled out for great things during the next two to three decades. And Visakhapatnam — the scenic seaside pride of Andhra Pradesh — more than lived up to its glorious reputation, until, that is, cyclone Hudhud dealt it a body blow this October 12.

The timing couldn’t have been worse: with the separation of Telangana it is the largest and fastest-growing city in the truncated Andhra Pradesh. The cyclone picked for its landfall AP’s sole major industrial centre replete with the Visakhapatnam steel plant, Hindustan Shipyard Ltd, BHEL, HPCL refinery and the Visakhapatnam port in the public sector and several IT companies, pharma companies and the Gangavaram port in the private sector.

These industrial assets have suffered irreparable damage and cannot resume production anytime soon. According to one estimate, the total loss suffered by the local industry is in the range of ₹10,000 crore.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu supervised relief operations for more than a week and claimed a loss of ₹40,000 crore across the three north-coastal districts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam. “Fortunately, we have reduced casualties to the minimum by taking up massive evacuation and alerting the people about the cyclone. The number of casualties may be 40-50 in the three districts,” he said.

The city’s green cover couldn’t escape the fury of the elements, and residents no longer recognise this battered landscape. Trees across the city and on the surrounding hills were uprooted and popular tourist destinations, such as Kailasagiri, have taken on a grim and grotesque appearance.

The fisheries sector is in a crisis as more than 500 boats were damaged totally or partially, leaving the fisherfolk jobless. “We need loans to buy fresh gear and financial support for a few months until we can stand on our feet again,” says Arjili Das, a community leader in the Peda Jalaripeta fishing hamlet.

PC Appa Rao, president of the AP Mechanised Fishing Boat Operators’ Association, says not even a single boat has escaped damage in the fishing harbour and “unless the government comes to our rescue, it is impossible for us to survive. The position of the traditional fishermen is worse.”

Chaganti Sasikala runs a small business supplying home-cooked food at Seethammadhara. After the cyclone, there was a scarcity of essentials and “a huge demand for prepared food. We couldn’t meet the demand. We are slowly regaining normalcy,” she says.

At the small paper-bag unit owned by V Kamakshi, a paper consignment was held up and some stock was damaged. “We need loans at low interest rates to normalise our operations,” she says.

The Visakhapatnam Co-operative Urban Bank has come forward to offer loans at slightly lower interest rates to help small businesses get back on their feet. “We will open a zero-balance account and immediately offer a loan of ₹5,000 to any small-time vendor who furnishes a proof of residence,” says Ch Raghavendra Rao, the chairman of the bank.

Noted activist Medha Patkar visited the cyclone-hit slum areas of the city and urged the government to implement the food-for-work scheme for the marginalised sections. “It is not enough if the government provides just 25kg of rice and a few kilograms of essentials. The impact is long-lasting and the livelihood issue should be addressed in earnest and soon,” she said.

The city has been brought to its knees, but the chief minister chose to put on a brave face to inspire confidence and revitalise the inhabitants to the task of rebuilding. “It is only a temporary setback. Most of the great cities in the world are on sea-coasts. We will rebuild the city using appropriate technologies and make it as cyclone-proof as possible. We will not let the brand image of the city suffer,” he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the city and announced a relief package of ₹1,000 crore, besides promising all help to rebuild Visakhapatnam as a smart city.

Schools, industrial units, NGOs and other sections of society have undertaken a massive campaign — Green Vizag — to regenerate the city’s greenery.

As rebuilding gathers pace, there is greater awareness about the appropriate technologies and materials to be used in the coastal areas, where corrosion is an ever-present hazard. The loss of natural habitats such as mangroves has also proved costly, robbing the interior areas of their natural buffer against the marauding cyclone.

The state government has announced it will lay underground cables for the city’s power transmission and telecommunications network. The emphasis will be on building a clean and green Vizag, says G Srinivasa Rao, the HRD minister.

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