Two Tuesdays later, we straggled on a guided tour of what Reliance claims is the world's largest project under implementation, and stared at what followed. For the record, the very preliminary fully-insured cost assessment is between Rs 100 crore to Rs 150 crore, and more importantly, lives of 10 contract labourers.

Reliance executives led around a team of reporters from Mumbai, showing us three dimensions to the last two weeks of cyclonic devastation and its aftermath at India's largest industrial complex. First, the great anarchy.

There were the two twisted transmission towers, the single collapsed main tank, the roofs blown off the workers tenements, the absolute glassnessness of the hollow windows that stared from all the houses that Reliance had constructed for its employees' administration andresidences. One viewer gasped at the sight of the plants - every plant from the airport to the Reliance facilities - flattened with the most incredible viciousness to the ground.

The scale of the storm came through in a large painting shed rendered totally roofless, of stories of asbestos roofs flying around, of 10 workers perishing to the cursed wind's fury.

Second, there was the sheer scale of the operations the storm had attacked. The enormous project, comprising India's largest 18 million tonnes per annum refinery in the making, a petrochemical complex, and land enough for a proposed mega-power project, splayed out over 33 square kilometres reeking of industrial gigantism, stood defying destruction.

Temporary infrastructure had perished, but the project itself, as far as implemented, has more or less stood the test, not of time, but of the most horrible few hours of nature's madness.

The FCC and the Coker have survived intact, majestic in their perches where they have been settled by a giant cranethat can lift weights up to 1,600 tonnes, and which is so huge itself that it can move one kilometre an hour, that too pushed by remote controlled trailers. Size has mattered once more: this time, not in the face of competition, but of sheer devastation.

Third, the spirit and the system. The madness of the storm needed method. Fortunately for Reliance, there was enough method in its relatively young, three-decades old system to introduce into the natural fury that threatened to wreck life itself apart around Jamnagar.

"We reacted very quickly. After the e-mail warning, we quickly worked out an area-wise damage control plan. Ships were sent out to mid-sea, helicopters flew out, we warned labourers not to come the next day," recounted Surya Rao at a special presentation for the visiting team of reporters, taken along by Reliance to Jamnagar on Monday to share the story of a huge fightback against the cyclone. "By 9-00 a.m., we could make out that with winds blasting at 220 km per hour, the roof sheets hadstarted yielding. Our staff were hiding under tables, we issued order for workers' evacuation."

The first blast of devastation passed, and then Reliance swung into systemic relief action. "Three teams were quickly formed: site control, city (Jamnagar) coordination and Mumbai coordination," said Rao, "we worked in a deliberate sequence: responsibilities were identified, two standing meetings per day were stipulated, 10 minutes reach, we set targets, we worked out separate site recovery plans (that is, rebuilding or recouping each individual project site at Jamnagar), we drew up services restoration plans, and ensured close monitoring and follow-up."

You would have thought he was talking about an Ambani classic corporate manoeuvre. "Within 24 hours, we had managed 100 water tankers, each providing 10,000 litres, we ensured 100 per cent chlorination, organised 24-hour medical services in seven medical centres, and with 36 doctors. This includes a special Reliance medical posse flown in from Patalganga,Hazira as well as government doctors and 43 paramedics)", said Rao.

"As many as 30 diesel generator sets were restored on the first day, 500 in seven days, 150 new DG sets were procured, 100 mobile light masts were restored, 2,000 light poles went up in three days," Rao reeled off.

Rao also listed communication line restoration, community relief projects, site restoration, to the reporters as among the other activities that Reliance had done to take the site back to what he claimed was a "pre-cyclone" stage in 12 days flat, except for the damaged tanks and equipment.