KOLKATA, May 26: Severe cyclonic storm ‘Remal’ has intensified and is expected to make landfall between the coasts of Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal around Sunday midnight, prompting the evacuation of over 1 lakh people from vulnerable areas to safety.
Bengal’s coastal areas have been put on high alert as the cyclone, accompanied by high-velocity winds, has already triggered rain in several parts of the state.
According to an India Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin, the ‘Remal’ was centred 160 km south-southeast of Sagar Island at 6pm.
The cyclone, which has a maximum sustained wind speed of 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph, is likely to hit land between Sagar Islands in West Bengal and Khepupara near Mongla port in Bangladesh by Sunday midnight, officials said.
By 3 pm, the West Bengal government had evacuated around 1.10 lakh people from coastal and vulnerable areas and shifted them to cyclone shelters, schools, and colleges.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday chaired a meeting to review response and preparedness for cyclonic storm ‘Remal’.
The cyclone has already caused light rain and winds in areas like Digha, Kakdwip, and Jaynagar, which are expected to intensify on Monday.
IMD’s eastern regional head Somnath Dutta said from Sunday evening, districts in south Bengal would experience squally winds of 45-55 kmph, gusting to 65 kmph, affecting Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, and Purba Medinipur. “This will gradually increase to gale wind speed, reaching 70 to 80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph,” he told reporters.
However, he mentioned that the damage caused by ‘Remal’ would be less severe compared to the destruction wrought by Super Cyclone Amphan in 2020.
The IMD has warned of localised flooding and major damage to vulnerable structures, power and communication lines, kutcha roads, crops, and orchards in the South and North 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal.
Residents in affected areas are advised to remain indoors and avoid vulnerable structures.
Fourteen teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed across South Bengal districts, including Kolkata, North and South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Howrah, and Hooghly.
The state government has also readied SDRF teams and is working with teams from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC).
Relief materials, including dry food and tarpaulins, have been dispatched to coastal areas, and quick response teams comprising trained civil defence volunteers and equipped vehicles are already in place.
The impending landfall of Cyclone ‘Remal’ has also led to significant disruptions in air, rail, and road transportation in Kolkata and other parts of South Bengal. Eastern and South Eastern Railways have cancelled some trains on Sunday and Monday. (PTI)
