Cyclone Asani: CM Mamata Banerjee postpones district review meets; govt alerts coastal districts

“Since cyclone Asani is advancing, coastal districts need to prepare for it, and hence, came the deferment,” said an official.

“It is very likely to move northwestwards and intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm over the east-central Bay of Bengal during the next 12 hours. It is very likely to continue to move northwestwards till the evening of May 10 and reach west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal off north Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coasts. Thereafter, it is very likely to recurve north-northeast wards and move towards the northwest Bay of Bengal off Odisha coast,” said Dr G K Das, a scientist at the Regional Meteorological Centre, Kolkata.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has, meanwhile, cancelled the leaves of its employees. Disaster management teams, police and KMC employees have been asked to stay prepared.

“We are preparing ourselves to deal with any situation if the cyclone hits the city, and thereafter, bringing the city back to normal,” said mayor Firhad Hakim.

The KMC is keeping cranes, electric saws, long stairs and earthmovers on standby. “All preparations are being done based on our lessons from the devastating effects of the Amphan cyclone in May 2020,” said Hakim.

Meanwhile, the regional meteorological department on Sunday warned fishermen not to venture into central parts of the Bay of Bengal on May 9 and 10 and into the northwest Bay of Bengal from May 10-12.

The cyclonic storm is 400 km west of Port Blair (Andaman Islands), 940 km southeast of Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and 1,000 km south-southeast of Puri (Odisha). The cyclonic storm over Southeast Bay of Bengal has moved northwestwards with a speed of 13 kmph and lay centred at 08:30 hours on Sunday, said the weatherman.

According to the weather department, light to moderate rainfall is likely between May 10 and 12 at a few places over coastal areas of the Gangetic West Bengal while isolated heavy rainfall is likely over Paschim Medinipur, North & South 24 Pargana districts between May 11 and 12.

“Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea from May 10. Fishermen out at sea are advised to return to the coast by the evening of May 9. Fishing and tourism activities should be suspended between May 10 to 12, 2022,” advised the weatherman.

The district administrations of the coastal areas have taken several measures such as setting up an integrated control room at the headquarters to be operational in subdivisions and blocks. Besides, continuous dissemination of information is being done to the public via loudspeakers, local panchayats etc in close coordination with the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Nabanna control room, said officials, adding that all necessary preparations are being done.

ADMs and senior officials have been deployed at different sub-divisions to handle the situation. Emergency response teams, with each team comprising 20 civil defence volunteers and having all necessary machines and equipment, have been formed and deployed in vulnerable areas. Boats have been deployed at strategic locations. SDRF and NDRF, Coast Guard and Navy have also been alerted.

“Sufficient stocks of tarpaulins, clothes, rice, medicine and dry foods have been arranged. All the multipurpose cyclone shelters are being prepared, all embankments are being watched closely, and repair of vulnerable embankments is being carried out. Sufficient water bottles and water pouches have been stocked. Health officials have been alerted and hospitals are equipped to handle emergencies,” said an official of South 24 Parganas district.