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West Bengal gears up to tackle cyclone ‘Sitrang’; Odisha on high alert as well
Cyclone Sitrang is expected to hit the West Bengal coast on October 25 with wind speeds gusting up to 110 km per hour
With the West Bengal coast expected to fall within the trajectory of cyclone ‘Sitrang’, the state government has already started preparing for it, with chief secretary HK Dwivedi convening a meeting on Friday with senior officials of south Bengal districts, which may bear the brunt of the cyclone, and top officials of various departments such as irrigation, power, police, health and agriculture among others.
“Preparations have already started. The cyclone and flood shelters are being readied. Essential items such as food, medicines and drinking water are being stored. Announcements are being made to warn fishermen not to venture into the sea and those who have already gone out have been advised to return,” said PK Maji, district magistrate of East Midnapore, a coastal district.
On May 20, 2020 very severe cyclone ‘Amphan’ hit the West Bengal coast with wind speeds gusting up to 185 km per hour. On May 26, 2021, very severe cyclone ‘Yaas’ hit the Odisha coast with wind speeds gusting up to 155 km per hour. Both the events inflicted widespread damage in West Bengal.
Cyclone Sitrang is expected to hit the West Bengal coast on October 25 with wind speeds gusting up to 110 km per hour.
Also Read:Cyclone Sitrang expected to cross Bangladesh coast, impact Bengal, Odisha
“Apartments in the multi-stories flood and cyclone shelters, schools and college buildings are being prepared and stacked with essential items. The evacuation process will start from May 23. Announcements have already begun,” said Dipankar Halder, district disaster management officer of North 24 Parganas, which has at least five blocks crisscrossed by rivers.
Even Kolkata is gearing up for the cyclone, with the city’s mayor holding a meeting on Friday to assess the preparedness. Road clearing and tree cutting machines along with water pumps were being readied, while leaves of all officers have been cancelled.
Meanwhile, the Odisha government too raised the level of alertness in several of its coastal districts on Friday even as the Indian Meterological Department said ‘Sitrang’ is likely to miss the state coast and head for West Bengal-Bangladesh.
