Villagers try to cover themselves from heavy rainfall and strong winds as they ride a pickup truck in Srikakulam district
The relief and rescue works are going on in full swing in Srikakulam district after Cyclone Phailin made landfall on the eastern coastline last night, and the situation is expected to become normal in a day, district collector Saurabh Gaur said today.
He said that there was just one casualty in the district - a woman who died in a wall collapse in Ichapuram mandal last night.
"Most of the people have left relief camps and gone to their respective places. As of now, there are less than 5,000 staying in the relief camps," Mr Gaur said.
Supply of power will be resumed by this evening, he said.
Meanwhile, teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Andhra Pradesh fire department personnel have been clearing highways, blocked with uprooted trees and electricity poles.
State Revenue Minister N Raghuveera Reddy, who toured the district, said initial reports indicate that 30,000 acres of agriculture and horticulture crops and 1,000 houses were damaged in the cyclone.
According to him, 400 kilometre-long electricity wires suffered damages during the past 24 hours and 50 per cent of it has been restored by afternoon.
Mr Reddy said the state government would provide rice at free of cost to the affected fishermen families.
He, however, did not specify the quantity of rice to be given.
He said there are as many as 74,000 fishing families living along the coast of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam.
Union Minister of State for Communications Killi Kruparani, who visited some of the cyclone-hit villages, said she is in touch with the Prime Minister's Office with regard to the cyclone and its impact.
Ms Kruparani is Lok Sabha member from Srikakulam.
She said she would ensure that Central teams visit the cyclone-hit areas to assess the damage.
State ministers Ganta Srinivasa Rao, Kondru Murali Mohan, P Balaraju and S Vijayarama Raju also accompanied the Union Minister and the Revenue Minister.