Modi in Vizag

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Tuesday afternoon to visit cyclone-hit Visakhapatnam and other parts of north coastal Andhra.

Soon after landing at Visakhapatnam airport, he inspected the facility extensively damaged by cyclonic storm Hudhud on Sunday. Officials briefed him about the damages.


Andhra Pradesh governor ESL Narasimhan, chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, central government ministers M Venkaiah Naidu and Ashok Gajapati Raju received him at the airport.


Modi will visit the beach and some other parts of the city, which bore the brunt of the cyclone.


Modi will review the situation at a meeting to be held at the office of district collector. He will then undertake an aerial survey of the other affected areas.


The chief minister earlier said he would brief the Prime Minister of the situation and give him details of the devastation caused by the cyclone.


People in the cyclone-ravaged town of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh continue to live without electricity and communication facilities for the third day in the row since Sunday. The scarcity of drinking water, milk and other essential commodities have added to the woes of this port town.


Two days after the severe cyclonic storm Hudhud battered the coastline, the city of 18 lakh people remained in darkness and mostly deprived of potable water. Piped potable water supplies have run out, too. Motor pumps installed in homes and apartments aren't running, with power supply yet to be restored.


The authorities haven't been able to supply water in tankers either, the citizens complained. Cashing in on the situation are greedy retailers, selling 20 litre water bottles for Rs 300 each.


Women carrying children too are running around to buy milk, some of them standing in long queues. In some areas, half-litre packets of milk were sold at Rs 50 each, which is twice their actual price.


With roads connecting the city to neighbouring districts yet to be cleared, supplies of milk and other essential commodities still remain cut off.


Mobile phones remain dead here for the third day in a row, with telecom services yet to be restored. ATM machines aren't working either.


Visakhapatnam, the largest city in the state of Andhra Pradesh, still sports a war-ravaged look with streets blocked by uprooted trees, toppled electricity poles and communication towers, mangled wires, shattered pieces of glass and other kinds of debris.


National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are still working towards clearing the roads. Officials said power supply may be restored by Tuesday evening.


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