Cyclone Phailin spares North Andhra, govt gives no room for Oppn to take credit

Visakhapatnam: The administratiion of Andhra Pradesh took no time to jump into action after the Met officials and various government agencies like NDMA started predicting Phailin and its impact on the three districts of north Andhra.

District collectors were put on high alert, teams from NDRF and army were immediately dispatched to the places where the cyclone is likely to wreck havoc.

Somebody has rightly said on a lighter vain that both the AP and Odisha governments should be given credit for their quick response before the aides of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi took the credit as they did during Uttarkhand floods tragedy.

And now the severe cyclone has almost crossed the coast after it made landfall at Gopalpur in neighbouring Odisha on Saturday night. The officials have heaved a sigh of relief as the cyclone caused minimum damage to life and property.

With the improved Met forecasting what can be termed as biggest evacuation bid so far, Andhra Pradesh government agencies evacuated as many as 1.2 lakh people since Friday evening.

People were shifted to hundreds of storm shelters in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts.

Government staff deployed for relief and rescue operations were seen ready to brace the cyclone.

Barring sea turning ferocious and inching forward for a few meters in some areas, there was no major damage in Vizag and Vizianagaram.

Two jetties were severely damaged at the fishing harbour and a strong high rise wall that divides Vizag port and fishing harbour too collapsed due to the powerful high tides.

However in Srikakulam, those mandals that are close to Odisha's Gopalpur experienced the brunt.

Heavy gales brought down the billboards, electric and telephone polls collapsed, mighty trees got uprooted. All roads were blocked with garbage and fallen trees.

Meanwhile, NDRF teams and various other government teams have begun the loss estimates.

Phailin also caused devastation in five mandals of Tekkali revenue division in Srikakulam district.

Ichchapuram, Kaviti, Sompeta, Kanchili and Vajrapukotturu are the mandals that are affected where coconut and cashew orchards were damaged.