Balasore/Digha/Kolkata/Bhubaneshwar/Ranchi: Cyclone Yaas, packing winds gusting to 145 kmph whiplashed parts of India's eastern coast on Wednesday, killing at least four people and leaving behind a trail of damaged homes and flooded farmland, forcing more than 21 lakh people to be evacuated to safe shelters in the states of West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand.
Thick sheets of rain blurred the vast coastline, as the cyclone made landfall around 9 am near Dhamra port in Odisha, with surging waters sweeping beached fishing boats inland and swamping the mud-and-thatch houses and farmlands in low-lying areas.
Yaas is the second cyclonic storm to hit India within a week after Tauktae tore into its western coast, causing death and destruction.
The storm, which had weakened during the afternoon, had left the coastal states on edge, with Bengal government claiming that at least one crore people have been affected by the calamity thus far, as it hollered on its destructive path towards Jharkhand.
However, the two state capitals Kolkata and Bhubaneshwar were saved from the wrath of the cyclonic storm, though the two cities witnessed heavy rains and high winds.
Three of the four lives claimed by Yaas, were from Odisha which bore the brunt of natures fury, while one was from West Bengal.
People in 128 villages in Balasore and Bhadrak district remained marooned as gushing seawater cut off road links to them. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced 7 days relief for these villages.
Patnaik also directed officials to repair all roads within 24 hours. As many as 605 roads have been damaged of which 495 have been repaired in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Balasore, Bdahrak districts. As the cyclone swirls in Mayurbhanj district, action will be taken on Thursday.
At least one crore people were affected and three lakh houses damaged in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday.
The scenic town of Digha in East Midnapore, which shares border with Balasore district of Odisha, lay swamped, with the Army called in to help rescue operations. Several vehicles including an earthmover were overturned while boats were seen catapulted from where they were beached over walls and onto streets.
In certain areas, the waves were seen surging as high as the coconut trees that line the popular beaches.
Odisha has shifted 6.5 lakh people to
safer places, and West Bengal 15 lakh, ahead of the cyclone, amid concerns over spread of COVID-19 infection at the temporary shelters, given the fact that the country is battling the raging second wave of the pandemic.
Odisha chief minister Patnaik ordered health screening of all the 6.5 lakh people taken to cyclone shelter, including COVID tests if required. Officials said a similar health screening was also planned for Bengals shelters too.
West Bengal chief minister Banerjee said relief materials worth Rs 10 crore have been to the affected areas.
The Army has deployed 17 columns in West Bengal to assist the administration, a defence official said.
Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and state police and civil defence volunteers were working round-the-clock to move people to safety, officials said.
The weather office has predicted extremely heavy rainfall in East and West Midnapore districts and heavy to very heavy rainfall in Jhargram, Bankura, South 24 Parganas districts over the next 24 hours.
Heavy rain will occur at isolated places in Purulia, Nadia, Murshidabad, Purba Bardhaman, Howrah, Hooghly, Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts owing to After- effects of 'Yaas', the weather office said.
In Odisha, a red warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall was issued in nine districts.
Jharkhand evacuated over 10,000 people to safer zones while operation is still on amid forecast that cyclone 'Yaas' would be hitting the state by midnight, officials said Wednesday.
The state has imposed complete lockdown in some parts to prevent people from venturing out as the severe cyclonic storm is expected to batter the state.
The cyclone lay centred at about 15 kilometre west of Balasore at 1.30 pm with intensity of 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph.
It would move north-northwestwards and weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm during the next six hours, the weather office said.