Cyclone Remal: As cyclone ‘Remal’ made landfall between the beaches of West Bengal and Bangladesh on Sunday night, it left a path of catastrophic destruction across the state, including one fatality from a wall collapse in Kolkata. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated in its most recent report on Monday that Remal has subsided into a “cyclonic storm” and is probably going to continue to weaken during the day.
Injuries and Fatalities in the Wake of Cyclone Remal
In addition to the deceased, a second person was hurt in the Gosaba region of the Sundarbans after being struck by debris. At the Kolkata airport, flight operations have not yet started after being halted as a precaution on Sunday at noon and continued till Monday at nine in the morning.
More than one lakh people were evacuated by the authorities from West Bengal’s hazardous districts. With winds as high as 135 kmph, the cyclone made landfall on Sunday night between Sagar Island in the state and Khepupara in Bangladesh. At Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, multiple flight operations are delayed. As Cyclone ‘Remal‘ made landfall Friday night, severe gusts of wind and heavy rain battered numerous areas of West Bengal.
Ongoing Clean-up Operations in Alipore
In the Alipore neighborhood of the city, teams from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Kolkata Police Disaster Management Department are still clearing up uprooted trees. The ANI news agency was informed by South Kolkata DC Priyabrate Roy that road clearing work is in progress and that things will be back to normal by Monday.
Prime Minister Modi Reviews Cyclone Remal Response
On Sunday night, a meeting was presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the reaction and readiness for Cyclone Remal. He was informed that the state administration of Bengal was often contacted by the National Crisis Management Committee.
Indian Coast Guard on High Alert for Cyclone Remal
“Closely monitoring the landfall of cyclone Remal with disaster response team, ships, and hovercraft standby at short notice to respond to post-impact challenges,” the Indian Coast Guard stated on Monday morning. “Follow official advisories, Stay informed and stay safe,” it said in a tweet.
Mass Evacuations Ahead of Cyclone Remal
By Sunday afternoon, the West Bengal government had moved over 1.10 lakh residents from vulnerable and coastal areas into cyclone shelters, schools, and colleges. Relocating residents in South 24 Parganas district, particularly Sagar Island, Sundarbans, and Kakdwip, was the main goal of the evacuation activities.
