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Fishing boats anchored at Gopalpur beach, in Ganjam, Wednesday, May 1, 2019. Cyclone ‘Fani’ is likely to intensify into an ‘extremely severe cyclonic storm’ by late night and can hit the Odisha coast by Friday (PTI)[/caption]
Kolkata, May 1 (IANS): In wake of Cyclone Fani gradually gaining strength, weather officials on Wednesday warned of destruction of thatched houses, roads, and crops in eight districts of West Bengal and advised people be evacuated from coastal areas.
"There can be total destruction of thatched houses/extensive damage to kutcha (mud) houses, some damage to pucca (permanent) houses. There is a potential threat from flying objects," the Regional Meteorological Centre here said in a special bulletin.
Also, power and communication poles can be uprooted, kutcha and pucca roads can be damaged, railways can be disrupted and there can be widespread damage to standing crops and plantations, it said.
The warning has been issued for the districts including East and West Medinipur, Jhargram, South and North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Kolkata.
The special bulletin also suggested "extensive evacuation from coastal areas of East Midnapore, North and South 24 Parganas districts".
The bulletin also directed that fishing operations be totally suspended and said the movement of motor boats and small ships is not advisable. People in the areas which may be affected have been advised to remain indoors.
The cyclone is now lying around 1,040 km away from Kolkata.
"It is very likely to move northwestwards during next 12 hours and thereafter recurve north-northeastwards and cross the Odisha Coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali, around Puri during May 3 afternoon with maximum sustained wind of speed 170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph," the weathermen predicted.
Heavy (7-20 cm) rainfall is on the cards for East Midnapore and West Midnapore, Jhargram, Kolkata, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly districts on May 3.
On May 4, there can be extremely heavy (over 20cm) rainfall in Kolkata, North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, East and West Midnapore, Jhargaram, Purulia, Bankura, East and West Burdwan, Burbhum, Murshidabad and Nadia districts of Gangetic West Bengal.
"Gale wind speed reaching 90-100 gusting to 115 kmph are very likely over along and off West Bengal coast from early morning for subsequent 12 hours and decrease thereafter," the weather office added.
The East Midnapore district administration has been asked to take all preventive measures and maintain a strong vigil on the Digha, Mandarmani and other beaches so as to stop visitors from bathing on the three days on the turbulent sea.
Cyclone Fani: 81 trains cancelled, two diverted
Railways has cancelled 81 trains and diverted two more in view of cyclone "Fani", which is likely to affect 19 districts of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, besides Kolkata.
The railways said that it will grant full refund to passengers for the cancelled or diverted trains if the tickets are produced for cancellation within three days from scheduled date of journey.
Some of the trains which have been cancelled include Howrah-Chennai Central Coromandal Express, Patna-Eranakulam Express, New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express, Howrah-Hyderabad East Coast Express, Bhubaneswar-Rameswaram Express.
The national transporter has also issued directions to the Divisional Railway Managers of all zones that frequent announcements are to be made at important stations for sensitising passengers about the cancellations, short termination and diversion of coaching trains in both directions of the Bhadrak (Odisha)-Visakhapatnam section.
"The full refund shall be granted to the passengers for the cancelled/diverted trains if the tickets are produced for cancellation within three days from scheduled departure of trains. Dry Food items, janata khana and water bottles in sufficient quantity are to be made available at catering stalls of all major stations. Due to dislocation of train services, the situation may warrant transhipment of passengers. Local transporters are to be contracted for hiring of road vehicles for meeting exigencies as and where necessary," the instructions to DRMs stated.
The railways has also said that sufficient amount of cash must be available at major stations for granting refunds to passengers and meeting other exigencies. Frontline staff are to be advised to be extremely polite while dealing with passengers and leaving no scope for complaint, it said.
"Emergency control is to operated round the clock with helpline number for guiding passengers. No staff are to be allowed to go on leave for next three days," it said.
The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), the country's top body to handle an emergency situation, on Wednesday reviewed the preparedness for "Fani", which is likely to hit south of Puri in Odisha on Friday, a home ministry official said.
Around 900 cyclone shelters have been made ready to house evacuees while troops of the Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and 78 teams of the National Disaster response Force (NDRF) have been requisitioned for deployment.