Severe cyclonic storm Amphan made landfallnear Sagar Islands in West Bengal on Wednesday causing major devastation. It isone of the worst storms over the Bay of Bengal in years which destroyed numberof houses and buildings. Twelve people were killed as super cyclonic stormbattered Bengal and Odisha. It caused a huge damage to the mud houses,plantation, electric poles as well as communication networks. According to the India MeteorologicalDepartment, the landfall took place between 2.30 pm and 6.30 pm on Wednesday.It witnessed strong winds with speed of 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph and torrential downpour. It was reported in several districts of West Bengal initially, which includes North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Hooghly,Howrah, Kolkata, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Murshidabad and Burdwan. Due to the adverse conditions, at least 6.58lakh people were evacuated in West Bengal and Odisha before the cyclone struck along with the suspension of flight operations by the government.
Disruption of roads was caused due to massive loss of poles and tress.“The impact of Cyclone Amphan on West Bengal has been worse than the coronavirus pandemic,” Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee said on Wednesday. Damages due to Amphan could be worth Rs. 1 lakhcrore, she added. The authorities were already aware and precaution were already taken. 41 teams were already deployed by NDRF to response the preparedness and evacuation plans. “The trajectory of Amphan is conforming to what we have been forecasting,” M. Mohapatra, Director General of IMD, said at a press briefing in New Delhi. “The next 24 hours are very crucial,” he added.
Bridges connecting Indian islands to the mainland were washed away and people across the coastal areas of India and Bangladesh were left in fear of moving to relief shelter.
The situation will be more complicated in the shelters as the two countries are still under lockdowndue to the current pandemic. This evacuation will hamper the social distancing practices.
#PrimeMinister #NarendraModi will travel to #WestBengal and #Odisha to take stock of the situation in the wake of #CycloneAmphan. The PMO has said, he will conduct aerial surveys and take part in review meetings, where aspects of relief and rehabilitation will be discussed.