Hudhud keeps Vizagites on their toes

VISAKHAPATNAM: Perhaps the city has never been in the grip of such a horror as the one spread by storm Hudhud in recent times.

As the 'very severe' cylone is racing towards the coast to make a landfall on Sunday afternoon, anxiety and panic were palpable on the faces of the people living along the stretch of the seashore between Visakhapatnam and Bheemili, which is expected to bear the brunt of the cyclonic storm. Incidents like the collapse of a wall near the harbour have sent the officials into a tizzy.

With gusty winds lashing the port city Saturday, Vizagites may have already begun to experience the serious phase of what is touted to be one of the worst storms this year. While the rest of the district received heavy rainfall, the city itself experienced intermittent rain throughout the day.

With th turbulence at sea was all too visible in the the beach corridor extending from Bheemili to the Fishing Harbour, officials were kept busy with rehabilitation activities.

Under the supervision of the revenue officials of the respective mandals, people were shifted to local community halls, government schools and other safe places by vans and buses. The district collector and other higher officials are currently overseeing the activities from time to time.

Fishermen are apparently worried about the condition of their boats though they have placed them at a distance of over 200 m from the seashore at Bheemili, Kailasgiri and Appu Ghar areas which witnessed a massive tide surge.

Nooka Raju, a fisherman from Appu Ghar area, said that when storm Phailin hit the area, several measures were taken to save the boats but in vain. 'This time around, the cyclone is forecast to be even more severe so the loss too may be heavy,' he added.

Waves reaching the height of 3 metres were witnessed at Bheemili and the Fishing Harbour. The boats anchored on the shore were seen swinging under the impact of high tides.

On the other hand, ignoring the warnings being issued by the officials on the impending cyclone threat, a large number of Vizagites, mostly college-going students, were thronging the Beach Road to view the turbulence at the sea.

'I had to come to watch the waves after seeing the TV clips,' was how K Raghunath, a student from the city, reacted when asked why he was there despite warnings against doing so. The police and the community guards have been warning the public not to go close to the shore.

Vehicle-users had to face hardships due to gusty winds. Traffic came to a halt at many places in the city as the roads were blocked by uprooted trees and hoardings.

Many events plannned for the day in the city have been cancelled. The DRM Cup Bodybuilding Championship has been postponed. With the India-West Indies one day international (D/N) scheduled for October 14 in the city, for which tickets have already been sold out, the cricket lovers are keeping their fingers crossed.

The city witnessed power interruptions in the afternoon, causing much inconvenience to the people. Shops and hotels were closed by evening. The roads wore a deserted look as traffic was minimal. All major shopping malls and theatres have also been shut down.

With businesses starting to pull down the shutters quite early, people were seen rushing to the shops to stock up on essential commodities.