New Delhi: Rain lashed some parts of Odisha and Bengal on Tuesday as super cyclone 'Amphan' moved closer to the coasts. Both governments have stepped up efforts to evacuate low-lying and vulnerable areas.

Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday spoke to chief ministers Mamata Banerjee and Navin Patnaik and assured them of all possible help. This is the second super cyclone over the Bay of Bengal in two decades.

Around three lakh people have been evacuated and housed in relief camps till late afternoon on Tuesday, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said.

In the morning, 'Amphan' lay centred over west-central Bay of Bengal, about 520 km south of Paradip (Odisha), 670 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal) and 800 km south-southwest of Khepupara in Bangladesh, said H R Biswas, the director of Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar.

It is likely to weaken in to an extremely severe cyclonic storm, move north-northeastwards over Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Digha and Hatiya Islands during Wednesday afternoon or evening as a very severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained wind speed of 155-165 kmph gusting to 180 kmph, he said.

BSF moves patrol boats and floating border posts closer to safety

The Border Security Force (BSF) has moved its three floating border posts or ships and 45 other patrol boats deployed to guard the India-Bangladesh riverine front in the Sunderbans and Icchamati river in West Bengal to safe anchorage.

These vessels are used by the south Bengal frontier of the border force to guard about 350 kms of the riverine border in this area.

The BSF protects over 930 kms of the International Border under this frontier that includes 110 kms of the Sunderbans, Estuary Point, Icchamati river and Panitar, where the land and riverine borders of the two countries meet.

Tracking

The cyclone is being continuously tracked by the Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) at Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

Under its impact, light rains were witnessed in several areas of Puri, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Khurda districts of Odisha, and the intensity of rainfall and wind speed is likely to increase gradually, a Met official said.

Light rain lashed West Bengal's coastline and northwards till Kolkata as well.

IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said since the super cyclone is gradually weakening, and its impact is unlikely to be very severe on Odisha.

However, coastal districts like Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore are likely to be battered by heavy rains coupled with high velocity winds from Tuesday evening, he said.

Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Jena said evacuation of people living in low-lying areas, thatched and mud structures in the coastal districts is under progress and the process will be completed by evening.

He said the state government has made arrangements for evacuating over 11 lakh people as a precautionary measure.

Disaster response in Odisha

Fourteen units of National Disaster Response Force and 20 teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) have been deployed in the districts likely to be hit.

"We are in constant touch with the collectors of the 12 districts which have been put under alert in view of the cyclone. We are fully prepared to deal with any eventuality," Jena said

Chief Secretry A K Tripathy said four senior officers with vast experience in handling such calamities have been deputed to different districts on the direction of chief minister Navin Patnaik to supervise preparations and guide the local administration.

As high velocity winds may damage power infrastructure and roads, necessary equipment and manpower have been mobilised in order to ensure quick restoration in the affected areas, he said.

All fishermen along with boats and vessels have already returned from the seas and they have been advised not to venrure out for fishing activities till May 21, the SRC said.

The cyclone comes a year after 'Fani' barrelled through vast areas of Odisha on May 3 last year, claiming at least 64 lives and destroying infrastructure in power, telecom, water supply and other vital sectors.

Bengal

The cyclone is expected to make landfall on the West Bengal coast in the afternoon of May 20 between Digha in West Bengal and Hatia island in Bangladesh as an extremely severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds ranging up to 195 kmph.

It has the potential to cause extensive damage in the coastal districts of West Bengal, the government said.

The state has put the coastal districts of East Midnapore, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas, including the Sundarbans on high alert, Disaster Management Minister Javed Khan said.

"We have already evacuated around one lakh people, mostly from the low-lying areas, and set a target of evacuating 1.5 lakh more by Tuesday night.

"The evacuees have been put up at cyclone shelters, schools and colleges. Our experience in tackling cyclones Fani and Bulbul last year will be put to good use," he said.

The government, in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, has distributed more than two lakh masks among the evacuees and personal protective equipment (PPE) kits have been handed out to the State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) personnel deployed in the vulnerable areas, a senior official said.

"Around 4,000 SDRF personnel are monitoring the evacuation operation. The entire fishermen community has been asked not to venture out to the sea for the next two days and those who were at sea have been asked to return," the official of the Disaster Management department said.

(With PTI inputs)

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