Andhra University Beach Quarters still feel cyclone Hudhud pain

VISAKHAPATNAM: Residents of Andhra University Pithapuram Beach Quarters are still being haunted by the effects of cyclone Hudhud that ravaged the port city on October 12, 2014. Two years have passed but the AU Beach Quarters have not been renovated.
Despite that, the faculty and non-teaching staff of the university continue to reside in the dilapidated quarters close to RK Beach behind Rajiv Smurthi Bhavan.
According to Y Jeevanand, guest faculty of department of philosophy, AU, seniors professors used to vie for a quarter here in the pre-Hudhud days because of its prime location and beautiful surroundings including the blue waters and sand dunes. However, the buildings have lost all its charisma and are now in a dilapidated condition, he said. According to him, the authorities concerned should have repaired the quarters for safeguarding the interest of the residents.
Another faculty member said reptiles like snakes are common here and that they daily come across at least two in the Andhra University Pithapuram Beach Quarters premises which is full of bushes.
"The GVMC removed the bushes during the International Fleet Review for turning our premises into a parking place for VIPS. After that, no authorities bothered to clean or remove the bushes from the open fields inside the area. It is now a mini forest," the faculty said.
When contacted, AU registrar V Uma Maheswara Rao said they had planned to demolish the quarters and shift the residents to new apartments. But due to requests from a section of people, they were forced to sanction Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh for repair works. However, by next year, the quarters will be demolished and its residents shifted to new three-bedroom or two bedroom flats, Rao said.