Bengal ready to face cyclonic storm; schools, ICDS centres to remain closed from Oct 23-26: Mamata

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the state administration was ready to respond to any disaster that could occur due to an impending cyclone and announced that educational institutes and ICDS centres in nine districts would remain closed from Wednesday to October 26 as a precautionary measure.

She said teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and SDRF have already been deployed, and integrated control rooms, at both state and district levels, become functional 24X7.

A well-marked low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a depression on Tuesday as it rolled towards the eastern coast with the likelihood of turning into a severe cyclonic storm, the IMD said.

"Our government is ready to face this cyclonic storm. We have already started integrated control rooms at state and district levels and they are working 24X7.

"As a precautionary measure, fishermen have been asked not to venture into the seas. Public address systems are in place in the coastal areas. The district magistrates (DMs) and superintendents of police (SPs) have been asked to keep their eyes open till the situation normalises," Banerjee said.

As per the prediction of the India Meteorological Department, the weather system may gain strength, and the impending cyclone will make landfall somewhere between Puri and Sagar Island, she said.

"The wind speed may reach above 110 or 120 km per hour," Banerjee added.

The IMD, in its bulletin, said the well-marked low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal concentrated into a depression and lay centred at 700 km away from Paradip in Odisha and 750 km from Sagar Island in West Bengal around 8.30 am on Tuesday.

The depression will further intensify into a cyclonic storm by October 23 and cross north Odisha and southern West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island in the early morning hours of October 25 as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph, it said.

The Bengal CM said districts of South and North 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur and its coastal areas are expected to be affected severely.

"Districts of Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, Jhargram and Hooghly are likely to be affected. Schools will remain closed in these districts from October 23 to 26 as a precautionary measure. We do not want to take any risks and do not want anyone to face danger. Schools and colleges are sometimes used as shelters for people," she said.

According to a notification issued by the state government, educational institutes will remain closed in North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Bankura, Howrah, Hooghly and Kolkata from Wednesday to October 26.

The Bengal CM said the district administrations have been asked to shift all those residing in low-lying areas to safe places.

"We have started taking measures since yesterday. The ferry movements in coastal areas and districts will remain non-operational till the situation returns to normalcy. Tourist movements have been monitored as a precautionary measure," she said.

Banerjee said Chief Secretary Manoj Pant held a meeting with all the departments, NDRF, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), power utilities and municipal corporations concerned.

"Several principal secretaries have been appointed as observers in various districts. Manish Jain will be in charge of South 24 Parganas, Rajesh Kumar Sinha for North 24 Parganas, Rajesh Pandey for Howrah, Surendra Gupta for Paschim Medinipur, Onkar Singh Meena for Hooghly, Pervez Siddique for Purba Medinipur and Dr Saumitra Mohan for Jhargram, and Abanindra Singh for Bankura," she said.

The Bengal CM said she has asked ministers, staying in far-off districts, not to attend the next cabinet meeting scheduled for October 24.

"We have a Cabinet meeting on October 24. I have asked ministers staying in far-off places to stay put there and supervise the situation in case there is any cyclonic storm.

"I have asked Bankim Hazra from Sagar Island and Manas Bhunia from Paschim Medinipur district not to attend the cabinet meeting. We have asked those who are living in the coastal areas of Bengal to stay put there and not leave their respective areas because they have to keep their eyes open. Since there is no minister from Purba Medinipur district, I am sending observers there," she added.