Recovery efforts begin in West Bengal after Cyclone Remal: Authorities clear roads, remove uprooted trees, people return home from shelters

Nearly 15,000 houses in 24 blocks and 79 municipal wards in the coastal areas of West Bengal were affected by Cyclone Remal, and at least six people were killed.

The authorities want to ensure safe passage by clearing debris roads and restoring basic infrastructure. (Express photo by Partha Paul)

The West Bengal government authorities on Tuesday turned their attention towards relief and recovery efforts after Cyclone Remal left a trail of destruction across the state over the last two days.

Efforts are underway to clear roads, remove uprooted trees, and help people return home from shelters. The authorities want to ensure safe passage by clearing debris roads and restoring basic infrastructure. In the coming days, a concentrated effort will likely be made to rebuild and assess the full extent of the damage. According to an initial estimate by the state government, nearly 15,000 houses in 24 blocks and 79 municipal wards in the coastal areas were affected by the cyclone.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted light rain in West Bengal on Tuesday. (Express photo by Partha Paul)

At least six people were killed in West Bengal, mostly by electrocution, as heavy rain and gusty winds brought by Cyclone Remal lashed the southern districts of West Bengal, including North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Kolkata and Howrah, from Sunday night. At least 10 deaths were reported from Bangladesh after Cyclone Remal made landfall around 9 pm on Sunday in an area between Sagar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and Khepupara in Bangladesh.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted light rain in West Bengal on Tuesday. The strong cyclone turned into a cyclonic storm on Monday and intensified into a deep depression on Tuesday morning. The IMD said it is expected to develop into a normal low-pressure system in the afternoon.

The following weather conditions are expected in the southern Bengal region: Light to moderate rains may occur in almost all districts, but there is no chance of heavy rain anywhere. Some coastal districts may experience sudden wind speeds of 60-70 km per hour in the morning. In Kolkata and Nadia, the maximum gusty wind speed may reach 50 to 60 kmph in the morning. Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Cooch Behar are likely to experience heavy rain at isolated places and gusty winds of 40 to 50 kmph. A warning of heavy rain is still in effect for these three districts on Wednesday.

Forecast for Kolkata

Generally cloudy sky with a chance of light rain in the afternoon or evening. The maximum and minimum temperatures will likely be around 32 and 26 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Also read | Heavy rains may cause waterlogging in Northeast states today, warns IMD as cyclone Remal weakens

IMD update on Cyclone Remal

“The depression, remnant of Cyclone Remal, over East Bangladesh has moved east-northeastwards with a speed of 15 kmph during the past 6 hours. It is currently centred over the same region, about 50 km west-northwest of Srimangal (Bangladesh), 70 km south-southwest of Cherrapunji, 90 km north-northeast of Agartala, 100 km south-southwest of Shillong, 130 km west of Silchar (Assam), and 160 km west-southwest of Haflong,” read a statement by IMD.

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The IMD said that at 5.30 am on Tuesday, the depression was located 260 km northeast of Mongla and 100 km northeast of Dhaka. According to the forecast, it will intensify into a general depression in the next 12 hours.

As per the weather office, the system will likely move east-northeastwards and weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area over eastern Assam and the neighbourhood by Tuesday evening.

Sweety Kumari

Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More

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