NDRF personnel repair the cyclone-ravaged airport building in Visakhapatnam. (Press Trust of India)
The Visakhapatnam airport has been made operational for civilian flights after cyclone Hudhud wreaked havoc on the city and caused largescale damage to the airport as well, the navy said on Friday.
"The complete terminal and the entry and exits have been cleared of debris and baggage conveyor belts of water. The X-ray screening machines have also been made operational. The Foreign Object Damage (FOD) clearance of the airfield has also been completed to facilitate resumption of flight operations from today," it said in a statement.
After making the airfield operational for day and night operations on October 14, the navy, along with NDRF, shifted focus to assisting the Airports Authority of India in getting the terminal ready for civil flight operations, it said.
As part of Operation Lehar, the navy as the lead agency is actively coordinating with all agencies to restore the city to normalcy, it said.
"A multi-pronged approach through provision of relief material, clearing of debris from vital areas, food distribution and skilled assistance for restoration of vital services at airport, telephone exchange and sea port are paying rich dividends," it said.
On the request from the Visakhapatnam Port Trust, the complete hydrographic survey of the port is being undertaken by naval survey ships, the statement said.
Three IAF aircraft were scheduled to arrive on Friday carrying about 17 tonnes of relief material. A total of 184 tonnes of relief material has been ferried by the Indian Air Force to date, it said.