GVMC expedites restoration work in cyclone-hit areas

The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has intensified restoration work after Cyclone Arnab uprooted 1,008 trees and disrupted traffic on 293 roads across the city.
GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg on Wednesday directed officials to expedite the removal of fallen trees and damaged electric poles to restore normalcy.
According to a GVMC report, officials had completed cutting and branch removal work on 902 trees by 7 p.m. on Wednesday, while work on the remaining 106 was in progress. Of these, 599 trees had been removed and transported, while 409 were yet to be cleared completely. Traffic had been restored on all 293 affected roads.
Mr. Garg, accompanied by District Collector M. Abhishikt Kishore, inspected cyclone-affected areas between Polamamba Temple and East Point Colony. In view of two deaths involving electric wires, he directed officials to take adequate safety precautions during clearance operations in coordination with the Electricity Department.
He also inspected TPT Colony, where a huge tree had fallen on a road and nearby buildings. GVMC personnel, assisted by NDRF teams, took up removal work.
Meanwhile, the GVMC’s City Operations Centre received 394 complaints, of which 284 had been resolved by 5 p.m. on Wednesday. The Commissioner directed officials to address the remaining complaints promptly.
As many as 485 cyclone-affected people were accommodated in relief centres across the GVMC limits, including 260 in Bheemunipatnam. Officials were instructed to ensure food, drinking water and other essential facilities at the centres.
Mr. Garg also directed public health and engineering officials to intensify sanitation measures, prevent waterlogging and ensure uninterrupted supply of safe drinking water.