KAKINADA: Cyclone Arnab, accompanied by heavy rains and winds reaching speeds of 115-120 kmph, wreaked havoc in the Godavari districts, particularly in Konaseema region since Tuesday night.
Reminiscent of the devastating Hurricane of 1996, the storm left countless coconut and banana trees uprooted. Farmers are lamenting that it will be impossible for them to recover from such extensive losses.
The cyclone claimed the lives of two persons, Chokka Kishore (45) and B Rambabu (34) of Bhimavaram in West Godavari district and Kollu Venkayamma of Prakash Puram in Antarvedipalem in Sakhinetipalli mandal in Konaseema district. Kishore died when a tree fell near a church in the town, while Rambabu lost his life when an electric pole collapsed on Bondadavari street in the town. When a hut collapsed due to strong winds, Venkayamma died.
Meanwhile, an empty vessel based out of the Philippines consisting of 20 crew members from Viskahaptam was caught in the cyclone and there was an engine failure. It drifted to the coast in the vicinity between Bendamurlanka in Konaseema district and Narsapuram coast in West Godavari district.
Director general of shipping and Indian Coast Guard officials would rescue the crew from the stricken ship and to guide it in the right direction back to the Philippines.
Three fishermen- Neelapalli Gangaraju (42), his son Nelapalli Prasad (17) and Donka Raju (31) went missing in Kakinada district following the impact of Cyclone Arnab. The three ventured into the sea near Hope Island in the early hours of Tuesday, but did not return till now. Their families sounded an SOS to the district authorities.
The cyclone caused extensive damage in Odalarevu village of Allavaram mandal in Konaseema district, and it intensified with strong winds in the sea that swept the area during the night, causing boats anchored at the Odalarevu mini harbour to collide violently with one another.
Several fishing boats anchored at the mini harbour were severely damaged in the incident. These reportedly included those belonging to local fishermen from Odalarevu and fishermen from the neighbouring villages of Uppada and Nakkapalli. They had brought their boats to the harbour for shelter.
Cyclone Arnab left the people of Godavari districts like Kakinada, Konaseema, Eluru, East and West Godavari districts in the darkness with no power supply for 20 to 24 hours. The supply was disrupted due to uprooting of trees in many places, causing power lines to snap.
The cyclone severely affected Antarvedi, Allavaram, Katrenikona, I Polavaram and Mummidivaram mandals in Konaseema district. Coconut trees and banana plantations spread across hundreds of acres were damaged. In the Konaseema area, the district administration deployed 2,000 personnel to remove trees and restore the power supply.
Sea water entered houses and other areas of Mayapatnam, Subbampeta and Uppada villages in U Kothapalli mandal , Golilapeta, Indiranagar Moothanagara and Mahalakshmi Nagar in Jagannaickpur in Kakinada.
Officials found it difficult to shift the people in U Kothapalli mandal to rehabilitation centres as the people in particular, fishermen were not keen on being moved to rehabilitation centres on Tuesday.
However, by midnight of Tuesday, when sea waters entered the houses, they made a hue and cry. Officials including SDRF and NDRF teams shifted them to rehabilitation centres by engaging special buses.
Kakinada collector Haredhira Prasad and SP Bindu Madhav visited several cyclone-affected villages and assured the victims of early relief.
The cyclone claimed the lives of two persons, Chokka Kishore (45) and B Rambabu (34) of Bhimavaram in West Godavari district and Kollu Venkayamma of Prakash Puram in Antarvedipalem in Sakhinetipalli mandal in Konaseema district. Kishore died when a tree fell near a church in the town, while Rambabu lost his life when an electric pole collapsed on Bondadavari street in the town. When a hut collapsed due to strong winds, Venkayamma died.
Meanwhile, an empty vessel based out of the Philippines consisting of 20 crew members from Viskahaptam was caught in the cyclone and there was an engine failure. It drifted to the coast in the vicinity between Bendamurlanka in Konaseema district and Narsapuram coast in West Godavari district.
Director general of shipping and Indian Coast Guard officials would rescue the crew from the stricken ship and to guide it in the right direction back to the Philippines.
Three fishermen- Neelapalli Gangaraju (42), his son Nelapalli Prasad (17) and Donka Raju (31) went missing in Kakinada district following the impact of Cyclone Arnab. The three ventured into the sea near Hope Island in the early hours of Tuesday, but did not return till now. Their families sounded an SOS to the district authorities.
The cyclone caused extensive damage in Odalarevu village of Allavaram mandal in Konaseema district, and it intensified with strong winds in the sea that swept the area during the night, causing boats anchored at the Odalarevu mini harbour to collide violently with one another.
Several fishing boats anchored at the mini harbour were severely damaged in the incident. These reportedly included those belonging to local fishermen from Odalarevu and fishermen from the neighbouring villages of Uppada and Nakkapalli. They had brought their boats to the harbour for shelter.
Cyclone Arnab left the people of Godavari districts like Kakinada, Konaseema, Eluru, East and West Godavari districts in the darkness with no power supply for 20 to 24 hours. The supply was disrupted due to uprooting of trees in many places, causing power lines to snap.
The cyclone severely affected Antarvedi, Allavaram, Katrenikona, I Polavaram and Mummidivaram mandals in Konaseema district. Coconut trees and banana plantations spread across hundreds of acres were damaged. In the Konaseema area, the district administration deployed 2,000 personnel to remove trees and restore the power supply.
Sea water entered houses and other areas of Mayapatnam, Subbampeta and Uppada villages in U Kothapalli mandal , Golilapeta, Indiranagar Moothanagara and Mahalakshmi Nagar in Jagannaickpur in Kakinada.
Officials found it difficult to shift the people in U Kothapalli mandal to rehabilitation centres as the people in particular, fishermen were not keen on being moved to rehabilitation centres on Tuesday.
However, by midnight of Tuesday, when sea waters entered the houses, they made a hue and cry. Officials including SDRF and NDRF teams shifted them to rehabilitation centres by engaging special buses.
Kakinada collector Haredhira Prasad and SP Bindu Madhav visited several cyclone-affected villages and assured the victims of early relief.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
