This control room will collaborate with the police, disaster management teams, Kolkata municipality, and emergency response forces (National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Coast Guard and Civil Defence). For information or assistance during the cyclone, call the control room at 1070 or 033 22143526.
Meanwhile, flight operations at the Kolkata airport have been suspended due to Cyclone Remal. Flights are expected to resume at 9 am Monday after a 21-hour suspension. This has caused inconvenience for many passengers, with some taking temporary shelter outside the terminal. Some passengers have complained that they were not informed in a timely manner.
According to the airport authorities, 170 domestic flights and 28 international flights were scheduled to depart from Kolkata airport, and 26 international flights were set to arrive. Thus, 349 flights were set to be affected by the suspension of operation.
The Eastern Railways announced that a few trains operating between Howrah-Singur, originating from Howrah and Bandel in the Howrah division, will remain suspended until Sunday midnight.
A “severe” cyclonic storm has wind speeds of 85-95km/hr. “Cyclone Remal lay over the north Bay of Bengal and will move northwards and intensify further,” the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its cyclone bulletin. The Met department has warned that the cyclone is set to make landfall around Sunday midnight between Sagar Islands and Khekupara.
According to the weather office, adverse weather conditions are expected to begin on May 26. Residents in the affected areas have been advised to prepare. The IMD has issued a warning in effect until May 28.
The IMD has issued a warning about potential flooding and significant damage to various structures, power and communication lines, roads, crops, and orchards in the South and North 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal.
The latest update from the weather department shows that the cyclone is centred in Khepupara, Bangladesh. It is located 240 km south-southeast of Sagar Islands (West Bengal) and 280 km south-southeast of Canning (West Bengal), where it is likely to make landfall.
“The cyclonic storm lay centred at 0830 hrs today over North Bay of Bengal near latitude 19.8°N and longitude 89.3°E about 260 km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh), 310 km south of Mongla (Bangladesh), 240 km south-southeast of Sagar Islands (West Bengal) and 280 km south-southeast of Canning (West Bengal). Currently, maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph prevails around the cyclone centre,” said a statement issued by the weather office.