VISAKHAPATNAM: As Cyclone Arnab left a trail of fallen trees, damaged roads and disrupted essential services across Visakhapatnam, municipal workers have been working through the day and night to bring the city back to normal. From clearing roads blocked by uprooted trees to restoring drinking water supply and removing debris, the work has continued across wards, with teams moving from one affected stretch to another.
The scale of the task is reflected in the numbers. Of the 1,192 fallen trees reported across the 10 zones under the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), cutting and branch removal had been completed for 1,057 trees as of 6 pm on Thursday. Of these, 902 trees had been completely cleared, while another 290 were yet to be removed. All 313 roads blocked by fallen trees had been cleared and traffic movement restored.
Drinking water supply, one of the essential services disrupted by the storm, had been restored to around 70% of the city by Thursday. The corporation is targeting full restoration by Friday.
GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg said the corporation had intensified relief and restoration operations, with teams working round the clock. The operations include removing fallen trees, clearing road debris, undertaking sanitation work and repairing damaged roads.
The work is being carried out using 45 JCBs, along with tipper vehicles and additional sanitation workers.
The teams have been instructed to remove branches, leaves and other debris left behind after the trees are cleared, while engineering officials have been directed to identify potholes on cyclone-damaged roads and undertake patchwork immediately.
The Commissioner inspected several locations on Thursday, including the road from Dutt Island to Three Town Police Station and Beach Road in the East Zone. He directed officials to expedite the removal of fallen trees and restore damaged roads at the earliest.
While the clearance of all 313 roads has restored traffic movement, work remains to be completed on the trees still lying across the city. The GVMC has set Friday as the target for completing the removal of fallen trees from roads.
