Cyclone Jawad: CM takes stock of preparedness; at least 1 lakh people to be evacuated

Kolkata: The Bengal government has made elaborate arrangements to combat the impact of Cyclone Jawad along with the deployment of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in 12 South Bengal districts.

In the wake of the formation of the cyclone, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee went directly to the state Secretariat Nabanna after returning from Mumbai and held meetings with the top brass to take stock of the preparation to combat the impact.

The Alipore Regional Meteorological Department stated that there would be thundershowers accompanied by heavy rainfall in South Bengal districts, including Kolkata, from December 4 to 6 as the cyclonic storm would reach west central Bay of Bengal off north Andhra Pradesh – South Odisha coasts on December 4 morning.

Banerjee has directed to ensure the safety of people residing in the coastal areas. At least one lakh people would be shifted as a precautionary measure and the district administration has been directed to keep a close watch on the situation and to act accordingly.

As per the bulletin of the Meteorological department, Wednesday's low-pressure area concentrated into a Well Marked Low-Pressure Area over Southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining the Andaman Sea now lies over Southeast Bay of Bengal with the associated cyclonic circulation extending up to mid-tropospheric levels. It is likely to move west, north-west wards and concentrate into a depression over southeast and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal during the next 12 hours. Subsequently, it is likely to move north westwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm over central parts of the Bay of Bengal during the subsequent 24 hours. It is likely to reach west central Bay of Bengal off north Andhra Pradesh to south Odisha coasts around December 4 morning. Thereafter it is likely to move north north-eastwards.

There would be thunderstorms and light to moderate rainfall over the districts of Gangetic Bengal, including East and West Midnapore, North and South 24-Parganas, Jhargram, Howrah, Kolkata, Purulia, Bankura, Hooghly, Nadia, Birbhum, Murshidabad, East and West Burdwan and Malda.

Besides the deployment of NDRF, SDRF teams are also getting deployed at vulnerable areas, including Patharpratima and Sagar. The state government has directed all District Magistrates to ensure that all fishing boats should return by Thursday. Administration of the coastal districts have carried out miking to alert people and all the multipurpose cyclone shelters have been kept ready to evacuate people.

A round-the-clock control room has been opened at Nabanna that is keeping constant touch with the control rooms opened at BDO, SDO and District Magistrate offices in the coastal districts.

Adequate relief materials, including rice, tarpaulin, garments and blankets have been kept ready at vulnerable areas. Employees of all concerned departments, including Power, Public Works Department (PWD), Public Health Engineering (PHE), Health and Agriculture in these districts have been directed to be alert. Harvester machines have been deployed to harvest paddy by Thursday night.

The 16 teams of NDRF are getting deployed at Sandeshkhali (two teams) in North 24-Parganas, Kakdwip (one team) in South 24-Parganas, Digha and Contai (one team each) in East Midnapore, Kharagpur and Ghatal (one team each) in West Midnapore, Jhargram (one team), East Burdwan (one team), Arambagh in Hooghly (one team), Howrah (one team), Behrampore (one team) in Murshidabad, Malda (one team), Kolkata (two teams) and Nadia (two teams).

NRDF teams at eight locations have already reached and the remaining teams would reach by Friday.

The South Eastern Railway (SER) and the Eastern Railway (ER) have decided to cancel a few trains as safety precautions. SER has cancelled 49 trains between December 2 and December 4. These trains include 18105 Rourkela Puri which will remain cancelled for two consecutive days — December 3 and December 4.