KOLKATA: With Yaas approaching, the district administration of North 24-Parganas has identified 16 blocks in the district as 'vulnerable.' Sandeshkhali I, Sandeshkhali II, Hasnabad, Hingalganj and Minakha have been demarcated as most vulnerable blocks in Basirhat sub-division whereas Haroa, Basirhat I, Basirhat II, Deganga, Barasat II, Gaighata, Bongaon and Habra I have been identified as vulnerable blocks.
The district administration has taken up an elaborate arrangement to smoothly conduct relief and rescue operations in the coastal areas. The district administration has carried out a series of meetings with various departments and agencies involved in the rescue operation.
Some of the municipalities are also identified as vulnerable areas, including Taki, Bashirhat, Baduria, Gobardanga, Habra, Ashoknagar Kalyangarh, and Bongaon.
According to the district administration, around 26,298 households come under the vulnerable areas. Around 1,29,374 people were in vulnerable areas. The people in the vulnerable areas have already been evacuated by the administration.
"Around 1243 shelters have gruel kitchens, first-aid kits, medical teams, ambulances. Hospitals are tagged. Dry food and baby food have been provisioned. Around 1164 relief camps were made operational at 12.15 pm on Tuesday. The number of gruel kitchens operational stands at 584. District, subdivision and block control rooms are operational 24X7 which includes WBSEDCL, Irrigation, PWD Civil and Electrical and BSNL," a senior administrative official said.
"Representatives are stationed at the District Control room. Embankment repair restoration teams are already stationed in Basirhat Irrigation Division, Bidyadhari Irrigation Division and taking preventive action for strengthening of embankments," he added.
Around 118 Civil Defense volunteer teams have been deployed across the district. Each block and municipality has multiple teams of trained civil defense volunteers equipped with tree cutting chainsaws, ropes, safety boots, tractor trolleys, crowbars, axes and hand saws, speed boats.
As many as 14 NDRF teams have been deployed in the district, which are equipped with tree cutting equipment, chainsaws, power saws, search and rescue equipment, search light, tower light, speedboat etc. The teams have already been stationed at Hasnabad, Sandeshkhali-2, Hingalganj and Swarupnagar.