No place for picnics in Vizag
VISAKHAPATNAM: Cyclone Hudhud has not only taken the sheen off Deepavali but also robbed the residents of Visakhapatnam their yearly Kartheekamasam revelry. There are no picnics or outings as is normal in Kartheekamasam this year as all the favourites haunts for parties still lie in tatters.
Kailasagiri, the number one choice for revellers, is no more attractive with all the vegetation gone and the branches of the trees broken, with some trees in need of being uprooted as well.
Similar is the fate of other top favourite locations like VUDA Park, Zoo Park, Rushikonda, Kartheekavanam, Bheemli, Kambalakonda Reserve Park and Simhachalam hills.
Kartheekamsam is much awaited every year as it provides city people with an opportunity for large get-togethers. People from all walks of life prefer going on a picnic in Karthikamasam.
A large number of families from far off Srikakulam, East Godavari and neighbouring Visakhapatnam come to the city for merry-making. These picnic spots are haunted by employees, students, several communities, apartment dwellers, students and so on.
'We have decided to let Katheekamasam go just as we did for Deepavali. Even if we want to go, where is the place? When the entire city has been badly affected by cyclone, it is not proper to go on picnics anyway,' says VVSN Murty Raju, an employee of Techno Soft.
The youth and students have also decided against organising picnics this year. There are over 50 engineering colleges besides Andhra, GITAM and Gayatri universities in and around Visakhapatnam with nearly one lakh students.
This year, all the engineering colleges, universities and other establishments have been badly affected by the cyclone. A majority of the institutions, including schools have not even opened after the cyclone, leaving neither the students nor the faculty in the mood for an outing.
Groups of families which find Kartheekamasam an occasion for socialising have put off their plans. 'We are about 30 families. Every year we go on picnics. In fact we have visited all the picnic spots over the last few years during our holidays. Now these places look so frightening. Trees on which we had etched our names when we went on picnics in the past are no longer there,' says B Saroja.
No Picnicking This Year
Hudhud cyclone has thrown several agencies dependent on picnics out of business. There is no work for caterers this year, while usually as many as 150 catering agencies get handsome business in Kartheekamasam (October/November).
'Even before Deepavali, we receive orders for catering at picnic spots. Usually till December end, we get so busy that we cannot attend to take up any other work. But this year, there is no single order so far.
Normally we hire 12 workers, but during November-December we hire more than 20 persons additionally to execute orders. But this year, we have no work at all,' said Gopi, a vegetarian food caterer.
News Posted: 26 October, 2014
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