Copyright deccanchronicle
Kakinada:People of Kakinada had been on tenterhooks on Tuesday, for the seniors among them still remember the 1996 severe cyclonic storm that took hundreds of lives and caused wide-spread devastation, particularly when it came to the coconut crop.It took years to consign the memory to past. But it reignited fears over news and reports of Cyclone Montha.Montha caused extensive damage to coconut crops and took four lives.November 6, 1996 still brings bitter memories. When Montha plunged Konaseema, East Godavari and Kakinada Districts into darkness, some people imagined the worst. For them, power getting restored on Wednesday morning in Kakinada and East Godavari districts turned out to be a major relief.People had not slept for past two days not knowing what shape the cyclone would take. Sea surged forward at Antarvedi, Karavaka near Gogannamatham and other areas, amid gales and rains.In the cyclone’s aftermath, Idarapalli-Mukkamala bypass road subsided with cracks sliding towards the canal at some places. Roads have been damaged. People and vehicles negotiated roads with caution.APEPDCL managing director Prudhwi Tej Mummidi visited Konaseema area and supervised erecting of electric poles that fell due to gale winds. He assured that power will be restored soon.Minister K. Acchennaidu reviewed the damage caused. He said about 300 electric poles got uprooted across the district. 80 per cent of them have been re-erected. Power supply will be resumed as soon as possible, he assured. He said the storm affected 54 substations across the district.Acchennaidu asserted that as per the instructions of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, roads are going to be cleared and traffic will be restored. “RTC buses will start operating from Wednesday,” he assured.The minister assured that fisher folk will be given 40 kilos of rice per family free of cost.
