West Bengal Minister of Power Aroop Biswas on Friday met Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC) officials to review preparations for Cyclone Yaas, which is likely to hit the Bengal coast on May 26. The minister said adequate arrangements were being made to prepare for the aftermath of the cyclonic storm. Biswas said transformers and electric poles were being kept ready since cyclonic storms tend to affect the electric supply. “We held meetings with CESC officials in the city and also with power department officials in the state. We have sent a large number of transformers and electric poles to various places. We want to be prepared this time to combat the situation. We have also kept our teams in every block to act immediately once the storm passes,” said Biswas. According to the India Meteorological Department, a low-pressure area is likely to form over the north Andaman Sea and intensify into a cyclonic storm by May 24. It is expected to move northwestwards and approach the Odisha and West Bengal coast around May 26. Last May, the city and several districts in south Bengal were without electricity for a long stretch of time after cyclone Amphan left a trail of devastation. This time, the state government is preparing to combat the post-cyclone situation. A control room that will function round the clock will be opened on May 25 to supervise and monitor the cyclone situation. Meanwhile, district authorities in Purba Medinipur and South 24 Parganas, which share the state's coastline, started altering people about the storm. Fishermen out in the sea have been asked to return to the shore by the night of May 22. No fishing in the Bay of Bengal will be allowed from Saturday.
