E-Paper
Bengal stocks masks, sanitizers at storm shelters as cyclone Amphan nears
According to the regional meteorological centre of the India Meteorological Department, the depression over Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into cyclone Amphan over the next 12 hours.
The administration in Bengal has started stocking masks, sanitizers and soaps at all cyclone shelters in the coastal districts where thousands of villagers may have to be evacuated amid the Covid-19 pandemic as cyclone Amphan is expected to move towards the state’s coast.
“This is for the first time that we are procuring such items – sanitizers and masks – keeping in mind the Covid-19 pandemic. These items would be stored in all the cyclone shelters to prevent any outbreak of the disease when villagers are evacuated before the cyclone and brought to these shelters,” said Subhomoy Bhattacharya, sub-divisional officer of Contai, a coastal area in East Midnapore district.
According to the regional meteorological centre of the India Meteorological Department, the depression over Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into cyclone Amphan over the next 12 hours. Then in another 24 hours it could intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm. It is likely to move towards West Bengal and adjoining coastal areas of Odisha between May 18 and May 20.
Thousands of people from villages along the coast and low lying areas are evacuated during a cyclone and brought to cyclone shelters as part of disaster management protocol.
“This time because of Covid-19 we also need to maintain social distance. For this we are increasing the number of shelters by roping in school buildings so that there is no crowding in one building,” said Dibyendu Sarkar, Block Development of Officer at Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas, which was hit by cyclone Bulbul in November 2019.
In Contai sub-division of East Midnapore, which has a population of 16 lakhs, around 45,000 people had to be evacuated during Bulbul. In Kakdwip 64 school buildings have been identified over and above the 11 cyclone shelters.
He said that apart from the food and drinking water that would be stored in the cyclone shelters and schools, soaps, sanitizers and masks are also being stored.
“We have already procured 500-800 masks and more than 200 bottles of sanitizers. Masks will be given to those who don’t have one. Most people are now wearing masks and it has already been made mandatory by the government,” he added.
West Bengal has three coastal districts – North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore – which usually bear the brunt of cyclones. At around 11:30 am on Saturday the depression was located around 1,200 km south of the Bengal coastline.
The state has already started moving in teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the district administrations have been asked to stay alert and get prepared. Fishermen who have already ventured out have been asked to return as sea condition would get very rough.
“We are expecting heavy to very heavy rainfall in some places with winds reaching up to 95 km per hour on May 20,” said a senior official Sanib Bandyopadhyay, deputy director general of meteorology at the regional meteorological centre in Kolkata.
