(a) whether the East-Coast Railway has incurred huge losses due to the recent Hudhud cyclone which crossed at Visakhapatnam Port;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the quantum of assistance sanctioned in this regard; and
(c) the corrective steps taken by the Railways in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)
(a) to (c): Due to cyclone Hudhud, the total losses due to damages to railway tracks, bridges, staff quarters, service buildings, electrical installations, signal & telecom installations etc. in East Coast Railway have been estimated at Rs. 71 crore approx. Ministry of Home Affairs has been requested to release this amount from State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). Notwithstanding the release of funds by Ministry of Home Affairs, restoration work was started just after passage of cyclone on 12.10.2014 and the repairs were completed in all the sections on 13.10.2014 except Koraput-Kottavalasa Section. Damage in Koraput-Kottavalasa section was very severe with a total of 44 locations affected due to falling of trees, boulders, land-slips, washout of embankments and washout of one major steel girder of one of the bridges. Traffic was restored in this section on 09.11.2014.