CYCLONE AMPHAN

CYCLONE AMPHAN IMPACT WORSE THAN CORONAVIRUS : CHIEF MINISTER OF BENGAL MS. MAMTA BANERJEE.

     " The Impact of AMPHAN is worse than coronavirus. Damages may be worth 1 lakh crore " . Mamta Banerjee said and appealed for humanitarian help.

KOLKATA : The Impact of cyclone Amphan was, " worse than coronavirus " , Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee said , Indicating the trail of devastation. The three hour landfall left through the heart of the state capital kolkata this evening. Three people have died and the chief minister said the no. of casualties can even go upto 12.

       Giving a ballpark figure of 1 lakh crore as a cost of the damage Ms. Banerjee said, " We have to re-build everything. I appeal to centre no politics please, we want humanitarian help. "

      The district of North and South 24 parganas were the worst hit and Bengal " will have to re-build everything " , she said. After a day of rain and strong winds the severe cyclonic storm, which had an eye spread over 30 km, roared into kolkata around 2:30 p.m with winds speed of 100 to 120 km. For the next four hours, the city received a battering,the like of which has not happened in decades.

     Trees and electricity poles were uprooted , parked cars dashed against each other, homes were waterlogged in low-lying areas , some houses sustained severe damages with window panes, shattering and boundary walls crumbling . Part of kolkata went without electricity for hours. Power supply had been cut in North and South 24 Parganas districts earlier as a precautionary measures.

     AMPHAN WAS EXPECTED TO BE SUPER  CYCLONE : Like the one with 30 koee hours wind speed that battered ODISHA for yearly 30 hours in 1999. But on tuesday, it weekened to an " extremely severe cyclonic storm " as it neared a coast of Bangal and Bodhisatv. Tuesday had been rainy and windy in both states.

      The weather office said the cyclonic storm will get weaker while crossing over Bengal's Maida and Murshidabad district before entering Bangladesh as a deep depression.

PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI IN BENGAL, ODISHA VISITS TODAY FOR TUESDAY TRAGEDY AERIAL SURVEY OF CYCLONE AMPHAN DAMAGE :

    PM Modi , in a series of tweets said the entre country stands with Bengal and " no stone will be left unturned " to help those affected . PM modi will visit Bengal and Odisha today to survey the ground situation tuesday havoc by cyclone Amphan. Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee had asked the PM to visit the state and Inspect te damage , which she said was in the tune of Rs. 1 lakh crore.

     " I have never witnessed such a fierce cyclone and destruction in life ,  I would request PM Narendra Modi to come and visit Cyclone Amphan affected areas " , said by Ms.Mamta Banerjee after a review meeting.

      Have been seeing visuals from West Bengal on the devastation caused by cyclone Amphan. In this challenging hour, the entre nation stands in solidarity with West Bengal . Praying for the well- being of the people of the state. Efforts are on to ensure normally " the Prime Minister tweeted.

     Cellphone and Internet services are also badly disrupted as the cyclone had samaved several  communication towers. Besides, the districts of East Midnapore ans Howrah had also taken a battering. 

      The cyclone also caused widespread devastation in Odisha damaging power and telecom Infrastructure in several  coastal districts . Official of the Odisha govt. estimated that it has affected around 4.8 lakh people in th state. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has spoken  to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patraik and Ms. Mamta Banerjee and gave assurance of help.

FOLLOWING ARE THE UPDATES IN THIS BIG STORY : 

1. I have asked the PM to visit Sunderbans. In this hour or cities, let us work together.... Amit Shah  called me this afternoon and assured the centre will extend full help , Ms Banerjee.

2. Ms. Banerjee , saying that she had never seen a disaster of this magnitude before announced 2.5 lakh as compensation to the family of those killed in the cyclone.

3. Ms. Banerjee said most of those killed died due to trees falling on them and electrocution. 15 of the 72 who died were from kolkata.

4. Strong winds with speed upto 125 kmph per hour upturned cars in Kolkata and left trees and electricity poles torn off and blocking roads. Portions of several battered buildings come costing down in kolkata.

5. The Kolkata airport, which had been shut, was left flooded and many structure within damaged.

6. Cyclone Amphan is only the second "SUPER CYCLONE ' to form over the Bay of Bengal since records and the first since 1999 Odisha was hit by a super cyclone that left nearly 10000 dead in 1999.