Hyderabad: Hudhud may have hit the port city of Visakhapatnam hard, but its brand image will not take any beating, Andhra Pradesh chief secretary IYR Krishna Rao on Thursday said.
"There is no damage to Vizag's brand image as such because of the devastation caused by Hudhud. Let there be no doubt about it," Rao said, speaking to reporters at the secretariat here this evening.
Coastal cities such as San Francisco and Taipei had been hit by more devastating cyclones in the past, but they were still attractive investment destinations, he said. Similarly coastal cities in Japan had successfully weathered cyclones, earthquakes and tsunamis, Rao said, expressing confidence that Vizag too would bounce back.
"Our plans to develop Vizag into a smart city will add to its reconstruction and it will continue to attract investment." Since 1891, Andhra Pradesh coast has been hit by 77 cyclones, but Hudhud was the massive one to hit the port city and hence the destruction too was colossal, he noted.
"Central public sector undertakings like the Ship ard, Steel Plant, state government organisations and private organisations... all suffered massive damage. We are seeking details from everyone as we are unable to clearly assess the damage yet," the chief secretary said.
Efforts to restore electricity and communication networks besides the supply of essential items were continuing on a war footing, Rao said, adding that the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was camping in the cyclone-hit area and was personally monitoring the restoration work.
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