Cyclone Amphan has started making landfall close to the Sunderbans in West Bengal, according to reports. It is expected to continue for four hours, Indian Meteorological Department officials said.
It is very likely to move north-northeastwards across northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Digha and Hatiya islands, the department had said earlier. The cyclonic storm will have maximum sustained wind speed of 155 kmph to 165 kmph gusting to 180 kmph. Cyclone Amphan had weakened from Super Cyclone to an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm on Tuesday.
Lakhs of people in vulnerable areas of West Bengal and Odisha have been evacuated and shifted to safety. Confirming that landfall has begun, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said it is keeping a close watch on the situation. Evacuation and rehabilitation during this super cyclone comes as a ‘special situation’ for the NDRF in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
West Bengal on Tuesday mounted one of its biggest evacuation exercises by moving more than three lakh people to safer places. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said more than three lakh people from three coastal districts have been moved to safety and all steps are being taken to deal with any eventuality.
During cyclone 'Bulbul' in 2019, the state government had evacuated 1.8 lakh people, she told a press conference. There are around 100 cyclone shelters spread across the coastal districts of North 24 Parganas, East Midnapore and South 24 Parganas.
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Odisha’s coastal districts like Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore are likely to be battered by heavy rains and high-velocity winds. Fourteen teams of National Disaster Response Force , each consisting of 45 personnel, and 20 units of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) have been deployed in the districts likely to be hit.
On Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Chief Ministers of Bengal and Odisha - Mamata Banerjee and Naveen Patnaik - on phone, assuring them all the help from the central government.