Cyclone Amphan: WB Evacuates 3 lakh people, IMD warns of disruption

Mangalore Today News Network

Kolkata, May 19, 2020: With the massive incoming threat of the cyclone ‘Amphan’, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba is going to chair a meeting of the National Crisis Monitoring Committee at noon on Tuesday, 19 May, ANI reported.

 

Apart from the readiness of NDRF and defence forces, power and telecommunications departments have been directed to be ready with emergency response.

As weather department warns of disruption of rail and road link at several places in West Bengal and Odisha, WB CM Mamata Banerjee says around 3 lakh people have been evacuated and kept in relief camps till now.

IMD also predicts extensive damage to standing crops, plantations and orchards along with blowing down of palm and coconut trees.

Early today, Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on the matter, reported PTI quoting officials. “He has assured to help deal with the situation arising due to cyclone Amphan,” they said.

Meanwhile, several areas of Puri, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Khurda districts of Odisha observed light rainfall on Tuesday. According to state officials, on directions of CM Naveen Patnaik, four senior officers with vast experience in handling calamities have been deputed to different Odisha districts.

The chief of National Disaster Management Authority, SN Pradhan on Monday warned about the threats due to ’super cyclone’ Amphan.

"When ’Amphan’ makes landfall on 20 May, morning or noon, it will be an extremely severe cyclonic storm", he said.

On Tuesday, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) was quoted by ANI as saying, “Super Cyclonic Storm ‘AMPHAN’ over west-central and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 14 km/ph during past 6 hours & lay centred at 5:30 am today over west-central Bay of Bengal about 520 km nearly south of Paradip, Odisha.”

"“It’s very likely to weaken into an extremely severe cyclonic storm during next 6 hours. It’s very likely to move north northeastwards across northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal–Bangladesh coasts between Digha and Hatiya Islands close to Sundarbans during afternoon/evening of 20 May.”" -

Hours after the IMD announced the severity of Cyclone Amphan on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) & National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) officials to review the situation arising out of it in different parts of the country.

Home Minister Amit Shah was also part of the meeting. After the meeting, the PM assured support from the central government and said, "I pray for everyone’s safety."

The government also said that Cyclone ’Amphan’ will cause heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of West Bengal.

During the presentation of the response plan, DG National Disaster Response Force informed that 25 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed on the ground while 12 others are ready in reserve. 24 other NDRF teams are also on standby in different parts of the country.

Extremely severe cyclonic storm Amphan over the west and central parts of Bay of Bengal intensified into a super cyclone with wind speed above 200 kmph (kilometres per hour) on Monday afternoon, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD). Heavy rainfall is expected to hit coastal Odisha by Monday evening and then hit West Bengal’s coast the following day.

"“Amphan is now a ‘super cyclone’ and it is a serious issue, the only other cyclone in Odisha was in 1999 which was very deadly.”" - S N Pradhan, NDRF DG

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had on Sunday issued a cyclone alert for West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts after Cyclone Amphan intensified over the Bay of Bengal.