Cyclone Yaas pounds Bengal
Kolkata: Severe cyclonic storm Yaas coupled with torrential rainfall caused havoc in the state damaging 20,000 houses and embankments at 70 different points so far with major parts of south Bengal districts getting heavily inundated.
However, there is no report of any further loss of life in the state so far due to the cyclone.
East Midnapore and South 24-Parganas are the worse affected districts where villages at Gosaba, Patharpratima, Joynagar, Basanti, Kultali, Frazerganj, Digha, Shankarpur and Tajpur went under waist-deep water, even it was chest-deep at many places.
People were found wading through chest-deep water at different areas when they were evacuated to cyclone shelters.
With heavy tidal waves since early this morning, water started gushing into villages with heavy damages caused to embankments in coastal and riverine areas. Around 51 km stretch of embankment washed away only in East Midnapore.
The tide was so strong that it even washed away cars at Digha and it's adjacent places.
There are at least 15 places in South 24-Parganas that went under water. Banerjee also received phone calls from Nandigram, from where she contested the election this time, to know that water entered the villages at Sonachura and Kendamari. Places including Digha, Shankarpur and Tajpur in East Midnapore were severely affected.
So far 15 lakh people, including 3.8 lakh in East Midnapore, were evacuated to relief and cyclone shelters and school buildings. "I would urge people, who were evacuated, not to return to their houses situated in coastal areas. Loss of property can be compensated, but life is precious," Banerjee said requesting people to co-operate in the fight against the cyclone.
"High tide due to full moon on Wednesday coupled with the cyclone causing heavy surge in water level in sea and rivers. It is a major cause of concern. Already water entered several villages that led to flood in a major part of the state," Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said holding a Press conference at 9.45 am after monitoring the situation night-long from the war room at Nabanna. She has supervised the relief and rescue work by ensuring evacuation of people to safe places and pressing necessary support for them.
She further said: "According to the reports received from the meteorological department, the severe cyclonic storm would hit the coastal areas at a speed of 130 kmph while the wind speed in Howrah, Hooghly, Jhargram, West Burdwan, Nadia, North 24-Parganas and other parts of East Midnapore and South 24-Parganas at 75 to 110 kmph".
As per the bulletin issued by the Regional Meteorological Department at Alipore at 10.30 am, the cyclone moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 15 kmph for the past six hours. "Landfall process continues. It would take around three hours to complete. It would cross north Odisha-Bengal coast to the south of Balasore within next three hours. A very severe cyclonic storm with windspeed of 130-140 kmph gusting to 155 kmph," the bulletin reads.
There is also forecast of "... extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places over Midnapore and heavy to very heavy rainfall at Jhargram, Bankura and South 24-Parganas." There would also be heavy rainfall in Purulia, Nadia, Murshidabad, East Burdwan, Howrah, Hooghly, Kolkata, North 24-Parganas, Haldia, Darjeeling and Kalimpong.
District magistrates, mainly of East Midnapore district, have been alerted once again on Wednesday morning directing to take necessary measures as water entered many coastal villages. Eight NDRF teams have also been deployed at East Midnapore.
In Kolkata, there was no report of any disruption in water and power supply till noon. But the Chief Minister raised strong apprehension that it may later get affected due to the high tide that will lead to further surge in water level in river Hooghly. With a prediction of the surge in water level by 17.5 feet or 5.27 metre, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation decided to shut all lock gates from 11.30 am to 4.30 pm.
She further said that traffic movement on flyovers in the city has been suspended as precautionary measure. Kolkata Police suspended traffic movement on flyovers in the city including Maa Flyover, AJC Bose Road Flyover, Gardenreach Flyover, Taratala Flyover, Park Street Flyover, Ultadanga Flyover, Chingrighata Flyover and Gariahat Flyover. Pavement dwellers and those stay at different parking lots near Vivekananda Flyover have also been evacuated.
As many as 17 Columns of Army have been deployed. Two Columns each have been deployed at Nadia and West Midnapore, Purulia and West Burdwan, Jhargram and Bakura, Howrah and Kolkata Port and North and South 24 Parganas. One column each has been deployed at Birbhum, Kolkata South, Behala, Hooghly while three columns have been deployed at East Kolkata, central and east Midnapore.
