Thaindian News

Kolkata, May 19 (IANS) Seven coastal districts in West Bengal were put on alert Wednesday and fishermen asked to return to the land to prevent any possible damage by cyclone Laila, which is likely to hit the Andhra Pradesh coast early Thursday and West Bengal by evening.
Meteorological Centre director G.C. Debnath rushed to the state secretariat Writers’ Buildings in the evening and briefed senior officials about the likely effects of Laila in the state.

Debanth later told reporters that cyclone Laila was intensifying and would hit the Andhra coast with a wind speed of 115-120 km per hour Thursday morning.

“Tomorrow (Thursday) evening it will hit West Bengal, but the wind speed could be substantially lower at 60-70 km per hour. It may trigger stormy winds and heavy rains.”

“However, things may worsen any moment as nothing can be said for certain in such cases. If the cyclone intensifies, the situation may turn serious,” he said.

Briefing the media, Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta later said the state government would not take any risk and has already ordered seven districts - North 24-Parganas, South 24-Pargans, Howrah, Hooghly, Nadia, East Midnapore and West Midnapore - to take precautionary measures on a war footing.

The district magistrates have been asked to open control rooms and move people living in low-lying areas to safer places. Fishermen, who have ventured deep in the sea or the rivers, have been asked to return.

Announcements were being made for the benefit of the fisherfolk in the riverine and coastal areas. The state government has already kept ready 4.28 lakh tarpauline sheets, clothes and plenty of drinking water for use in case of an adversity. A master control room would be set up at the secretariat here from Thursday morning.

The threat of cyclone Laila comes a year after cyclone Aila tore through 13 of the state’s 19 districts, leaving a trail of destruction with houses levelled, trees uprooted, power cables snapped and 138 lives lost. Around 6.1 million people were affected.

Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest that runs through vast parts of the two 24-Parganas districts, had borne the brunt of Aila.