New Delhi: West Bengal is preparing for Cyclone Yaas as it is likely to be more severe than cyclonic storm Amphan that hit the coastal state in 2020. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday (May 24, 2021) said that her government has made all necessary arrangements in dealing with the aftermath of cyclone Yaas, which might affect 20 districts.


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The TMC supremo stated that the state is targeting to shift over 10 lakh people to safer places in a bid to avoid any loss of life.


"Cyclone Yaas's impact is going to be much more than Amphan, according to the information we have received so far. This is going to affect at least 20 districts in West Bengal. The districts of Kolkata, North and South 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur will be severely affected," Mamata said.



Cyclone Yaas may also leave an impact on districts of Howrah, Hooghly, Bankura, Birbhum, Nadia, Paschim and Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Medinipur, Murshidabad, Jhargram, and Purulia.


The state government has banned all forms of tourism in the coastal areas as well as fishing activities in the sea. The district administrations and police have been asked to deal with violations strictly to prevent any loss of life.


Mamata Banerjee said that at least 51 disaster management teams have been readied, keeping in view the possible devastations predicted by experts. 



The West Bengal CM also informed that ferry services at 13 places have been shut and assured that the state has sufficient stock of relief materials that are kept ready at the block level.


She said that from Tuesday, the state government will continue surveillance for the next 48 hours from the control room at the state secretariat. 


"Extensive plans have been adopted for hospitals and vaccine centres," CM Banerjee said, adding that all types of medicines -- on diarrhoea, fever, snake bites -- have been asked to be kept ready.


Over 1,000 power restoration teams have been kept on stand-by and the West Bengal government has also asked the Army, NDRF, SDRF to be on alert. 
"There is nothing to be scared of. We have taken all forms of precautionary measures. I will ask the people to cooperate and wear masks and maintain physical distance," Mamata said.



Several trains run by the South Eastern Railway have also been cancelled in the wake of the cyclone from Monday to Thursday.


As per the latest updates, Cyclone Yaas lay centred about 320km south-south-east of Paradip, 430km south-south-east of Balasore and is likely to move north-northwestwards, to cross north Odisha coast during noon of May 26 as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm.



Earlier, Sanjib Bandopadhyay, the deputy director at the Regional Met Centre in Kolkata, said that at the time of landfall near Balasore, wind speed will reach 155 kmph to 165 kmph, gusting to 185 kmph, along and off Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore districts in Odisha and in East Midnapore district of West Bengal.


The IMD stated that tidal waves of height 2-4 meters above astronomical tide are likely to inundate low lying low laying areas of Medinipur, Balasore, Bhadrak and about 2 meters above astronomical tide are likely to inundate low lying low laying areas of South 24 Parganas, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts around the time of landfall.


Meanwhile, the Kolkata port has suspended all operations from May 25 till the cyclone subsides.


The Kolkata airport authorities have also said that all precautionary measures are in place to deal with any eventuality in the wake of the cyclone.


The Calcutta High Court has also cancelled the hearing of all matters listed for May 26 and 27.


The utility issued emergency helpline numbers (033) 3501-1912/ 4403-1912 and 18605001912. State-run WBSEDCL that supplies power to the rest of West Bengal also issued helpline numbers 8900793503 and 8900793504 to report disruptions.


(With agency inputs)


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