Cyclone Amphan: More Than 5 Lakh People In West Bengal, Over 1.5 Lakh In Odisha evacuated

Mumbai: National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) chief SN Pradhan said on Wednesday that more than 5 lakh people have been evacuated in West Bengal and 1,58,640 people in Odisha.

“Landfall has begun. We are keeping a close watch as the situation is changing rapidly. After landfall, our work in real sense starts like recovery and restoration. The NDRF command is camping in Balasore and South 24 Parganas. 20 teams have been deployed in Odisha and 19 in West Bengal. The two teams are on standby. All teams have wireless and satellite communications, ”Pradhan said in a press conference here.

“The state authorities have evacuated more than 5 lakh people in West Bengal and 1,58,640 people have been evacuated in Odisha,” he said.

The NDRF chief said that on the basis of experiences during the cyclone FANI, all teams are equipped with tree cutters and pole cutters for post-landfall restoration if needed.

“We are dealing with cyclones in the context of COVID-19 and perhaps this is the beginning of a new normal. In the coming times, natural disasters will be in the context of COVID-19. 24 additional vigilance teams are ready for airlift. Road clearing and restoration work have started. The awareness programmes are also going on,” he said.

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