Internet, mobile networks hit slow lane
In Short
Cyclone Arnab brings heavy rain and power outages across Visakhapatnam and Godavari districts. Over 8,000 APEPDCL personnel work to restore power to 2,500+ villages.
Share :
Photo for representation
Visakhapatnam: Even though it's not as impactful as Hudhud that devastated Visakhapatnam 12 years ago, Cyclone Arnab did leave a trail of destruction.
Torrential rain coupled with strong winds led to submerged roads, uprooted trees and snapped power cables. Fortunately, most educational institutions declared a holiday for three days.
Even as Cyclone Arnab made landfall near Narsapur-Yanam on Wednesday morning, its impact was witnessed across Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Konaseema and Kakinada. Power was disrupted all through the day, the internet failed to work and even when it resumed at occasional intervals, it was dead slow on Tuesday.
As prolonged power outage plunged several areas into darkness due to Cyclone Arnab, people found it difficult even to place calls, download photos, access/forward mails, or receive/send WhatsApp texts. However, when electricity supply resumed on Wednesday morning, there was so much to do all at once.
Drained mobile phones were charged, power banks were recharged, house maids were contacted, grinding work for the day's menu was completed, and water buckets were refilled.
In Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli, several trees fell on parked vehicles, while a number of neighbourhoods submerged in rainwater, making it difficult for commuters to wade through rain-brimmed and fallen-tree-blocked roads.
Officials concerned worked in tandem to restore life back to normalcy. By Wednesday noon, uprooted trees were cleared, while fallen electric poles were removed in several localities.
In Kakinada, Konaseema and Godavari districts, over 15,000 electric poles were damaged due to the cyclone.
As many as 703 teams and 8,161 APEPDCL personnel were engaged in restoring power supply to 2,549 villages across its jurisdiction.
