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Cyclone Bulbul caused damage worth Rs 50,000 crore: Mamata

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, after conducting an aerial survey of the cyclone-hit areas in North 24-Parganas, said on Wednesday that the loss incurred by the state due to the natural calamity might go up to Rs 50,000 crore.

Banerjee handed over a cheque of Rs 2.4 lakh each to the family members of five people from the district who lost their lives in the calamity.

During an administrative meeting at Basirhat in North 24-Parganas, she said: "Majority of the people in Bengal do not know the extent of damages caused by Bulbul in six districts. The loss incurred is to the tune of at least Rs 50,000 crore. Huge amounts of paddy have been destroyed and many fields are still underwater. We have been successful in evacuating people but nine persons have died so far. Seven fishermen are still missing. The Bengal government will try to restore normalcy at the earliest."

The Chief Minister conducted an aerial survey of Sandeshkhali, Hingalgunj and Hasnabad which are the worst-hit areas in North 24-Parganas.

15 lakh hectares of paddy fields have been badly affected by the cyclone that lashed through coastal Bengal on late Saturday evening. The affected districts are South and North 24-Parganas, East and West Midnapore, Hooghly and Howrah districts. Around six lakh people have been affected and thousands of mud houses have been totally or partially wrecked.

Banerjee was accompanied by Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha and the administrative meeting was attended by the secretaries of the Sunderban Development department, Health department, Public Health Engineering department, Panchayats and Rural Development department, Disaster Management department, Food department, Power department, Animal Resources department and Agriculture department. State Food minister Jyotipriya Mallick was also present in the meeting.

She also distributed cheques worth Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased persons at the meeting. Of the nine victims, five hailed from North 24-Parganas. She announced that the affected people will get 12 kg rice and 5 litres of kerosene along with flattened rice, puffed rice (muri), baby food and milk powder. Around 4.57 lakh tarpaulins have been distributed so far and Banerjee instructed Chaitali Chakraborty, District Magistrate of North 24-Parganas, to procure more and ensure that they reach the affected families. Apart from this, water pouches should also be sent.

Banerjee also asked the District Magistrate to get in touch with Dr Santanu Sen and Dr Nirmal Maji and start mobile medical camps in the affected areas, while she instructed Health Secretary Sanghamitra Ghosh to distribute ORS and medicines for common cold and diarrhoea.

She gave instructions to engage more workers under the 100 days' work scheme to remove the uprooted trees from the roads and clean the water bodies. She said lanterns will be supplied to the areas where electricity supply has not been restored.

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