The Eastern Naval Command (ENC) of the Navy here has remained operational though it has suffered heavy infrastructural losses after the cyclonic storm Hudhud.
Massive damageFlag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, ENC, Vice-Admiral Satish Soni said, “The infrastructural loss at the Naval Base is heavy and I have submitted a preliminary estimate of ₹2,000-crore loss to the Government.” All the roofs covered by asbestos and other sheets were blown away and a couple of old cranes in the Naval Dockyard collapsed, he said.
Soni added, “We cannot stop a natural calamity like cyclone. It is a natural phenomenon and we seafarers are always ready for it, but with planning we can minimise the damage.
“Thanks to our meticulous planning, we have not lost any operational assets as we had taken steps to secure the fleet of 40 ships and seven submarines,” he said.
The cyclone also damaged over 50,000 trees across the Naval Base. The falling trees snapped power lines, blocked roads and cut off communication. Even the residential areas suffered damage but on a minor scale.
“It is a great loss but it is also an opportunity for us to rebuild our infrastructure to be more cyclone-proof,” Vice-Admiral Soni said.
Despite the losses, the ENC teams were actively participating in humanitarian relief in coordination with the civil administration.
“With the efforts of the Navy, the airport has become operational. We have a hydrographic survey of the Port and have cleared the channels, enabling commercial ships to come into the harbour,” he said.