The Bengal administration evacuated more than 3 lakh people to safer areas even as super cyclone Amphan raced towards the State sources at the State administrative headquarters Nabanna said adding Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had decided to stay back at the secretariat till Wednesday evening by when the storm is expected hit the land.
Appealing to the people to remain indoors the Chief Minister said that the cyclone was believed to be stronger and more severe than Aila or Bulbul or other such storms that hit the region in recent times.
“I request everyone to stay indoors and at safe areas till the cyclone subsides. Please do not go close to beach areas. Instructions have been given to all District Magistrates, SPs, Police Commissioners.
We have evacuated people to shelter homes,” the Chief Minister said adding despite the large-scale evacuation the administration was trying to maintain social distancing norms considering further proliferation of corona pandemic.
Three districts of North and South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore apart from Kolkata are likely to bear the maximum brunt of the storm, sources in the weather office said.
Reporting large-scale evacuation she said, while in South 24 Parganas, 2 lakh people have been evacuated about 50,000 people have been removed to safer places in North 24 Parganas.Some 40,000 people have been evacuated in East Midnapore and another 10,000 have been removed to safe areas in West Midnapore, she maintained.
Earlier the Chief Minister had a brief conversation with Union Home Minister Amit Shah who called up Banerjee to express assurance, sources said.
According to the weather office Amphan is expected to cross Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Digha in this side of the border and Hatiya islands on the other side sometime post noon on Wednesday.
The very severe cyclonic storm will hit the land area with a maximum sustained wind speed of 155 to 165 kmph gusting to 180 kmph.
In Kolkata and neighbouring areas the wind speed could be between 110 and 120 kmph, the weatherman said advising a speedy removal of people from kucchha and thatched structures and dilapidated buildings.