PM assures Andhra Pradesh CM of all support as Hudhud strikes

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday promised Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu all possible assistance as cyclone Hudhud made landfall leaving five people dead in the state and neighbouring Odisha.

The Prime Minister, who had on Saturday held an emergency high-level meeting to review preparedness for the cyclone , today spoke to Naidu over phone and discussed relief and rescue measures.

He had yesterday asked officials to ensure that rescue and relief operations proceed smoothly and people are informed about the cyclone on a real-time basis.

Modi had also asked home minister Rajnath Singh to be in touch with the chief ministers of the states likely to be affected by it.

The meeting was attended by the cabinet secretary, the principal secretary to the PM, the home secretary, the defence secretary and other senior officials from the Indian Meteorological Department and and the PMO.

Cabinet secretary Ajit Kumar Seth said the Prime Minister was concerned not only about AP and Odisha but also wanted other states, which could face heavy rains, to be alerted.

"We have done that," Seth said, adding that while the Prime Minister reviewed the situation last night, he himself has been reviewing the situation closely and holding meetings with chief secretaries of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha twice daily.

Seth advised residents of cyclone-hit Vizag to exercise caution till the second phase of the high wind is over even as he lauded the efforts of the central agencies and state government in meeting the challenge.

Severe cyclonic storm Hudhud hit the port city of Vishakapatnam on Sunday bringing with it torrential rains in three coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh and leaving five persons dead in the state and neighbouring Odisha besides snapping power and communication lines.

Normal life was thrown completely out of gear as winds with a speed of 170-180kmph battered Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts.