Fix It, Now: Warning to Telecom Providers in Vizag from Chief Minister

Visakhapatnam: Phone connections and power remain un-restored in Visakhapatnam, hit hardest by Cyclone Hudhud, and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has asked officials to work round the clock to get these services up and running.

He warned that executives of telecom service providers must ensure restoration of connectivity soon and was quoted by news agency IANS as saying, "I have asked the police to arrest them and bring them to the meetings to review the situation."

"People are in distress. These companies have to come to their rescue. They can't just make profits when people are happy and desert them when they are in trouble," he reportedly added, pointing out that the lack of connectivity is a serious impediment to relief operations.

At least 20 people have died in Andhra Pradesh, whose coast was battered by Cyclone Hudhud which came tearing down on Sunday morning with winds peaking at nearly 200 kilometres per hour. 

Visakhapatnam or Vizag as it is known, which is home to two million people and a large naval base, was punished the hardest by the cyclone.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today surveyed the extensive damage in and around Visakhapatnam in an aircraft accompanied by the Chief Minister, who has been based in Vizag since Monday to supervise the huge effort needed to help the city back to its feet.

Mr Naidu has said he expects officials to brief him by evening of the measures taken to restore telecom services and explain the reasons for the delay in repairing the towers that were damaged in the cyclone.