Cyclone Asani: High alert sounded in coastal dists
KOLKATA: A day when the Alipore weather office predicted that the cyclone christened ‘Asani’ has developed a tendency to move towards Odisha, the state administration particularly the coastal belt in Digha and Sunderbans in South 24-Parganas is leaving no stone unturned to minimise the extent of damage and high alert has also been sounded in the coastal districts.
The weather office predicted heavy rainfall in some coastal areas in Bengal from May 11 to 13 and light to medium rainfall in all the districts in South Bengal, including Kolkata, during this period.
The fishermen have been asked not to venture in the sea from May 10 until further directions. Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi held a meeting with the disaster management wing and asked the district administration of coastal districts for constituting integrated control room.
South 24-Parganas District Magistrate P Ulaganathan held a high-level meeting with all concerned of the district and ensured that a slew of measures are taken to fight the cyclone.
An integrated control room will be functioning at the headquarters in Alipore along with control rooms at sub-division and blocks. About 5 emergency response teams, each team having 20 civil defence volunteers with all necessary machines have been formed and will soon be deployed at vulnerable areas. It was decided that as and when required SDRF and NDRF, Coast guard, Navy will be called in.
Fishermen have been requested to return immediately.
Arrangements for sufficient stocks of tarpaulin, clothes, rice, medicine and dry foods are being done. Boats have been deployed at strategic locations.
“All the Multipurpose Cyclone shelters are being readied, evacuation will be done when required, Sufficient poles for electricity stocked at important locations. Mobile service providers have been alerted,” a senior official of the district said.
Senior officials in the East Midnapore district administration visited Digha and Mandarmani on Saturday and similar measures are also being taken.
The administration is keeping a close watch on all embankments and repair of vulnerable embankments. Farmers have been advised to harvest their crops before the cyclone strikes. Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim said that all concerned departments of Kolkata Municipal Corporation are taking preparatory measures. The sewerage and drainage department have been kept on high alert,” he added.
Another meeting will be held at KMC on May 11, during which the exact path of the cyclone will hopefully be predicted by the weather office.