GUWAHATI: Assam has sounded high alert in the wake of the India Meteorological Department’s forecast of a strong likelihood of widespread effect of Cyclone Amphan in Assam, especially in the western districts of the state.
State chief secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna has through an urgent communiqué requested the chief executive officer of Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) and all commissioners of divisions and deputy commissioners of the districts to ensure that preventive and response systems are put on high alert to avoid any loss of life and property.
“The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF may be kept informed and their help be sought whenever necessary. CEO, ASDMA may like to consider putting a control room in place for this,” the chief secretary wrote in the communiqué.
According to the IMD bulletin on Tuesday, light to moderate rainfall is likely at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places over the western districts of Assam and Meghalaya on Thursday.
“The Super Cyclonic Storm ‘Amphan’ over west central Bay of Bengal moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 15 km per hour during the past six hours and lay centred at 8.30am of May 19, 2020,” the bulletin said.
It is very likely to move north-northeastwards across northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) close to the Sundarbans during the afternoon/evening of May 20, 2020 with maximum sustained wind speed of 155-165 km per hour gusting to 185 km per hour,” it said.