SRIKAKULAM: It is not just the coastal areas of Srikakulam district that bore the brunt of Cyclone Titli, the district headquarters too had its share of suffering with the entire town plunging into darkness, severely affecting medical services and drinking water supply. Srikakulam was battered by heavy rain since Wednesday evening and the town plunged into darkness with trees and electric poles getting uprooted across the district. While there were no reports of much damage to property, the worst-hit were the hospitals. Medical services were stalled at government and private hospitals following disruption in power supply.
For the entire day, RIMS, Srikakulam, had to depend on generators for power supply. “We have to use nearly 500 litres of diesel to run the hospital on generators on Thursday alone,” said RIMS RMO Ch Appala Naidu. Out-patient turnout was thin at the hospital because of disruption in transportation. Only 110 out-patients turned up at the RIMS on Thursday as against more than 1,000 who visit the hospital daily. Though the managements of some private hospitals kept the services going by switching on generators, they could not arrange drinking water.
The power outage hampered drinking water supply by the civic body. As a result, patients at the RIMS were forced to buy water from shops outside the hospital. In view of heavy rain and power outage, many clinics were shut down in the town. Several apartments ran out of water by evening and they were left with no alternative as even private tankers did not help due to power supply disruption.
Mineral water plants too were shut down, forcing people to buy water at a premium. Some residents had to contend themselves with fetching borewell water. It was only around 9 p.m that power supply was restored in Srikakulam, Gara, Srikakulam rural and Amadalavalasa mandals while other mandals in Tekkali, Palasa and Ichchapuram assembly segments including Narasannapeta mandal remained without power. In the night, the district administration directed the officials to make alternative arrangements for water supply.