Kolkata: The Mamata Banerjee government is coming up with a robust plan of action to protect the coastal areas using the natural flora and fauna when almost every year a cyclone is causing havoc to the state.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be holding a high-level meeting at Nabanna on Monday for a detailed discussion on the coastal management plan and to take a stock of the ongoing restoration work and Duare Tran outreach programme after the devastation caused by Cyclone Yaas mainly in East Midnapore, North and South 24-Parganas.
Banerjee has already announced the "Prakritik Durjoge Prokriti Sahay" project to take steps in a wholistic approach to save the coastal regions of the state when cyclone has turned to a natural phenomenon every year. Different concerned departments including the Environment department, Forest department and the Irrigation and Waterways department were directed to look into the research carried out globally to protect embankments using flora and fauna.
A committee comprising experts from different related fields including environment, forest and engineers would be set up to propose steps needed to be taken in this regard.
Meanwhile, the inter ministerial central team (IMCT) comprising Joint Secretary of Home Ministry SK Shahi, Director of Directorate of Jute Development Narender Kumar, Assistant Executive engineer of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in Kolkata Sanjukta Kanjilal, US (MGNREGA) of Rural Development Ministry Deep Shekhar Singhal, Executive Engineer in Kolkata of Power Ministry Alikpanth De, Deputy Commissioner of Fisheries Rajiv Pratap Dubey and Consultant (FCD) of Department of Expenditure RB Kaul have reached Kolkata on Sunday evening to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Yaas. They will get divided into two teams.
On Monday, one team will visit Patharpratima and Gosaba after taking chopper from Dumurjola while the second team will go to Digha by road. On Tuesday, one team will again visit Digha while the other will take stock of the damages caused at Godkhali. Members of the IMCT will hold a meeting with top brass of the state government's Disaster Management and Finance department at Nabanna on Wednesday before leaving for Delhi.