Bhubaneswar: Cyclone ‘Amphan’ left a trail of destruction in Odisha as it triggered heavy downpour coupled with high-velocity winds while hurtling towards the West Bengal coast Wednesday. In the process Cyclone Amphan uprooted trees and flattened fragile structures, officials said.
Large numbers evacuated
More than 1.41 lakh people living in low-lying areas and thatched and mud houses in the vulnerable coastal regions were evacuated and shifted to cyclone shelters, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), PK Jena said.
The evacuees were accommodated in 2,921 shelters where cooked food and other facilities were provided Jena said. He informed that the cyclone developed and moved as per the IMD forecast.
Exact predictions by IMD
“It (Cyclone Amphan) took exactly the path forecast by them. I must thank the IMD, particularly its Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, as their accurate predictions enabled us handle the situation ably,” Jena stated.
As the cyclone passed along the Odisha coast, it unleashed intense rainfall in several areas of Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Ganjam, Bhadrak and Balasore districts since Tuesday.
Two deaths reported
Though two deaths were reported in Kendrapara and Bhadrak during the cyclone, the exact reasons are being ascertained, officials said.
A three-month-old child died in Tihidi area of Bhadrak and a team has been sent to the village to probe the matter. The exact cause of the baby’s death will be ascertained after an autopsy.
A 67-year-old Kendrapara woman died in her house due to natural causes. She was living in a pucca RCC roof house and the cause of her death is being ascertained, officials stated. Kendrapara District Collector Samarth Verma said Rs 12,000 was given as immediate relief to the woman’s family.
Trail of destruction
As per initial reports, a large number of trees and electric poles have been uprooted, while many thatched and mud houses were flattened due to the cyclonic storm in the districts mentioned above. No major damage has been done to the telecommunications infrastructure and the services remained by and large unaffected, he said.
Amphan currently lies about 170 km east-northeast of Paradip in Odisha, 105 km southeast of Digha (West Bengal) and 240 km southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh), informed HR Biswas, Director of the Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar.
Cyclone Amphan is likely to cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya island (Bangladesh) close to Sunderbans in the evening, with a maximum sustained wind speed of 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph.
Rainfall in districts
Jena said Paradip recorded 214 mm of rainfall till Wednesday morning, while it was 87 mm in Puri, 70.5 mm in Chandbali, 58.5 mm in Balasore and 50 mm in the state capital.
Fear of COVID-19
Jena informed that people living in thatched, mud and ‘kutcha’ structures and vulnerable low-lying areas in the coastal districts were persuaded to move to cyclone shelters. He pointed out that many were initially reluctant to view in view of the COVID-19 scare.
“However, we dispelled their fears as all precautionary measures had been taken to ensure social distancing and hygiene at the cyclone shelters. While masks were provided, hand sanitisers and soaps were placed at the centres,” Jena said.
NDRF, ODRAF deployed
Thirty-six teams of NDRF and ODRAF have been deployed in the 12 coastal districts which were put on alert. Ten teams were deployed in Balasore, seven in Bhadrak, six in Kendrapara and five in Jagatsinghpur, he said. Also over 250 teams of fire service and 100 units of Odisha Forest Development Corporation have also been deployed. Roads blocked by uprooted trees are being cleared on a war footing, while power supply, if disrupted, will be restored at the earliest, the SRC said.