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Bengal prepares for Cyclone Sitrang; Rainstorm may affect festivities
Cyclone Sitrang is expected to trigger heavy rainfall and winds gusting up to 110 km an hour in the coastal areas of Bengal
The West Bengal government started the final preparations for Cyclone Sitrang on Sunday although the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said it is likely to make landfall in Bangladesh between Tinkona Island and Sandwip in the early hours of Tuesday, officials said.
The cyclone is expected to trigger heavy rainfall and winds gusting up to 110 km an hour in the coastal areas of Bengal, said IMD.
Even as citizens geared up for Dipavali and Kali Puja, leaves of all government staff involved with crisis management were cancelled by chief minister Mamata Banerjee earlier this week. A government order said they will have to be on duty on Monday and Tuesday.
An emergency control room was opened at Nabanna, the state secretariat, and five south Bengal districts. A crisis management team was formed under 11 Indian Administration Service (IAS) officers, officers from Nabanna said on Sunday.
Fishermen at South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts were asked not to venture into the Bay of Bengal. Tourists visiting beach towns such as Digha were also alerted through constant announcements over public address system.
“Cyclone and flood shelters are being prepared. Food, medicines and drinking water have been stocked,” said PK Maji, district magistrate of East Midnapore.
The low pressure, which developed over the north Andaman Sea and adjoining areas of south Andaman Sea and southeast Bay of Bengal on Friday, concentrated into a depression on Saturday and moved in a west-northwest direction, according to the IMD regional official in Kolkata.
Bengal faced two very severe cyclones, Amphan and Yaas, in the last two years.
On May 20, 2020, Amphan had hit the Bengal coast with a wind-speed of 185 km an hour. On May 26, 2021, Yaas hit the Odisha coast at 155 km an hour but caused widespread damage in Bengal as well.
