Will keep 48-hour vigil before shifting people out of cyclone shelters: CM Mamata Banerjee
Times of India | 26 October 2024
KOLKATA: The Bengal govt would maintain a 48-hour vigil before 2.1 lakh people in cyclone shelters return home, chief minister (CM) Mamata Banerjee said on Friday. People had been advised to remain in these shelters till the weather improved, the CM added. The onslaught of Cyclone Dana, she said, inundated farmlands and destroyed houses.
In East Midnapore, which bore the brunt of the onslaught, 500 homes were reported broken, over 500 large trees had fallen, and nearly 30km of overhead electrical wires were torn off. The exact extent of damage would be known only after two days, the district administration said. Nearly 18,500 hectares of farmland had been flooded in this district, which borders Odisha. Damage has been reported from other southern Bengal districts as well. But, the damage assessment is yet to be done.
The CM on Friday afternoon spoke to the officials and felt it was too early to assess the loss based on satellite figures. She asked the district magistrates to conduct field visits for loss assessment. The disaster management teams, including NDRF and SDRF, will also remain in the affected zones for another 48 hours. Relief camps would continue to operate until the weather improved, the CM said.
According to reports reaching Nabanna’s central control room, where Banerjee was stationed for 36 hours, one death was reported in the cyclone aftermath in Bengal. A person died at Partharpratima while trying to fix broken electrical cables at his home. Banerjee asked the administration to support the bereaved family.
A 34-year-old Howrah Municipal Corporation conservancy worker, Gautam Chattopadhyay, died after he fell on the waterlogged streets while walking towards his Tantipara home from Dumurjola. Cops were investigating the exact cause of death.
The DMs and the transport department have been asked to provide a comprehensive report on possible damage to ferry ghats. The PWD has been asked to report on damage caused to bridges.
The power department has been asked to restore power in the next 48 hours, starting Saturday. The CM also directed medical camps to be set up in affected zones to prevent disease outbreaks.
Banerjee instructed district officials to investigate waterlogging caused due to silt accumulation. She asked the forest department to help in replanting uprooted trees.
(Inputs from Rupak Banerjee in Howrah, Suman Mandal in Digha, Sujoy Khanra in Midnapore)