VISAKHAPATNAM : On its path to recovery from the impact of cyclone Hudhud on the East Coast, the Indian Navy has braced itself for cyclone Nilofar, which is ready to strike the Western Coast, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) admiral RK Dhowan has said. The Western Naval Command in Gujarat is fully prepared to face the cyclone and will ensure minimal loss, he added.
During his visit to the cyclone-hit naval establishments at the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) headquarters in Visakhapatnam Wednesday, Dhowan said that the estimation of damages caused by the Hudhud cyclone to the naval establishments was not clear. “We did not incur any major loss as the ENC was prepared for the cyclone. The essential rooms, stores, spare rooms and other important areas of the ENC are mostly safe as they were not exposed to the weather.”
ENC chief Vice Admiral Satish Soni had earlier submitted a preliminary report estimating the damages to the tune of `2,000 crore. Dhowan said that he expected the Eastern Naval Command’s base to successfully overcome the damage caused by the cyclone and set an example for other countries by successfully hosting the International Fleet Review to be held in February 2016. He also hoped that the city would bounce back from the damages and regain its glory.
The Navy chief stated that the initial efforts of Navy would be to restore basic requirements and ensure that everyone was safe and ensure that essential areas were covered, apart from working on contingency plans simultaneously. “Immediately after the allocation of funds, restoration work will be taken up on a priority basis,” he said.
Launching a tree plantation drive at the ENC headquarters, Dhowan said that the Naval base had lost around 50,000 trees and added that the staff would plant two trees for every tree that had been uprooted during the cyclone.
Earlier, he had visited the Hudhud-affected areas in the ENC including the Naval air station INS Dega, Naval Armament Depot, Base Victualling Yard, Materials Organisation, Ship Building Centre, Naval Dockyard and the residential areas of officers and sailors.
He interacted with the Navy personnel and examined ongoing restoration works. He also lauded the officials for working together in restoring the operations in the naval areas within a short period and carrying out rescue and relief operations in the other parts of Visakhapatnam and its surroundings.