A city stripped of its green cover, ravaged houses, broken boats, beaches and roads engulfed by ferocious waves — the Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Hudhud has left in its wake a battered landscape. Visakhapatnam is still struggling to come to terms with its aftermath.
With wind speeds of up to 200kmph, the cyclone, which made landfall on October 12, hammered the coast for more than 10 hours. Several large trees were uprooted (depleting 625 sqkm of green cover), transformers were damaged and petrol pumps smashed, even as residents floundered without essentials such as water, power and milk.
The devastation at the fishing colonies in particular, underlines the intensity of the storm — roofs blown away, boats sunk or damaged and hungry families awaiting food trucks and help. While it’s too early to gauge the overall impact of Hudhud, losses may amount to ₹60,000 crore, with the fishing harbour alone accounting for about ₹200 crore.
Yet the loss is not monetary alone. Several heritage sites in the city and its surrounding regions of Vizianagaram and Srikakulam lie ravaged. The Buddhist sites of Thotlakonda, the popular beach at Rushikonda and the Kailasagiri park once abuzz with activity, are now engulfed in a resounding silence.
Photos by KR Deepak