Cyclone Bulbul: Personnel of the NDRF clear a road in West Bengal
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's efforts to mitigate the impact of Cyclone Bulbul were commended by the state Governor this morning. The cyclonic storm now lays centered 75 km east-northeast of Sundarban National Park, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
"Adverse impact has been contained-thanks to Hon'ble CM leading from the front and there being synergy between State and Central agencies. Appeal to NGOs to particularly come forward and render rehabilitation assistance to the needy," Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar tweeted.
The IMD this morning said the "severe" cyclonic storm Bulbul weakened at 5:30 am and is moving towards Bangladesh, adjoining coastal West Bengal. "The cyclone is likely to weaken into a deep depression over coastal Bangladesh and adjoining south and North 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal during next six hours," the IMD said in its bulletin.
The cyclone made landfall between the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts amid a state of high alert on Saturday night. It brought along heavy rain and winds raging at speeds of at least 120 kilometres per hour.
"Reviewed the situation in the wake of cyclone conditions and heavy rain in parts of Eastern India. Spoke to WB CM @MamataOfficial regarding the situation arising due to Cyclone Bulbul. Assured all possible assistance from the Centre. I pray for everyone's safety and well-being," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted this morning.
Cyclone Bulbul uprooted trees and damaged houses in some parts of West Bengal
Taking passenger safety into consideration, the Kolkata airport suspended flights for 12 hours starting 6 pm on Saturday. Two people were reportedly killed in rain-related incidents across Odisha and Bengal. At least 34 teams of the National Disaster Response helped in clean-up and rescue operations.
At South 24 Parganas, some 200 people took shelter at Sagar Pilot Station of the Kolkata Port Trust. Villagers were served food by the commander, pilots and staff of the port facility, news agency ANI reported.
"We are taking all measures to tackle any contingency. Special Control Rooms have been set up, and NDRF-SDRF teams are deployed," Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted on Saturday. All schools, colleges and anganwadi centres in the state have been closed, and over 1.2 lakh people evacuated from vulnerable areas on the coast. "Be alert, take care and stay safe," she added.
In Odisha, Cyclone Bulbul brought heavy rains and winds with speeds ranging between 70-80 km per hour.
The authorities in neighbouring Bangladesh had evacuated around 100,000 people from low-lying coastal villages and islands as a precautionary measure.