Amphan: Crops over Rs 82 crore damaged in Howrah

Kolkata: Howrah district witnessed a massive damage in crops on around 17,714 hectare land. At the same time the district administration and Howrah Municipal Corporation is fighting to restore normal water and power supply in the urban parts of the district.

According to a senior official of the district, preliminary report shows that crops including boro paddy, ground nut, sesame, chilli and arum, jute, moong, betel vine on 17,714 hectare worth Rs 82.6 crore was damaged. Harvested paddy from 1,200 hectar estimated at Rs 360 lakhs was also damaged, the official added. HMC is working on war footing to restore supply of safe drinking water. There was water logging at nine pumping stations affecting supply in drinking water in different parts of the municipal area. Engineers worked overnight to restore normal supply of water.

"We are leaving no stone unturned to ensure undisrupted supply of water as early as possible," said an official of HMC, adding that uprooted trees have been removed at major parts of the district.

There are pockets in the urban areas where there is inundation of water. HMC have engaged electrical pumps to throw out the water at the earliest.

Work to ensure normal power supply is also going on.

Besides carrying out the work to help people after the cyclone, the police have also started calculating the number of signal posts and kiosks those were damaged.

A senior police officer said that the entire rank and file is now working round the clock to restore normalcy and to support people wherever necessary.

More than 18,000 houses were damaged in the district and the district authorities are providing all support to the people at 1,400 relief camps where they are staying maintaining physical distancing.