Southern Bengal devastated by cyclone Amphan, 80 reported dead

The southern part of Bengal has been devastated by the horrendous cyclone Amphan. At least 72 people have lost their lives, due to this severe cyclone. The city Kolkata has not experienced such a strong storm in the last five decades. Reports say that this is the worst cyclone since 1737. The impact of Amphan has already exceeded the damages by made cyclone Aila in 2009. 

According to the weather office, the speed of the wind was highest in Dum Dum area. The wind hit Dum Dum at a speed of 133 kmph. On Wednesday the entire city of joy turned into a vortex with the horrible howling of the wind. The super cyclone has caused immense damage in the southern part of Bengal despite staying prepared with all precautions. 

Five lakh people were removed from the coastal area before the storm hit the state. Yet, the cyclone has wrecked the state with 72 casualties of which, 19 were reported from Kolkata. The streets of the city were waterlogged and the riverine parts of the South Bengal were flooded. Transformer explosions due to strong winds have left most of the storm-affected area without electricity till Thursday. 

_{Workers try to restore a power line after a tree fell on it in Burdwan district of West Bengal. (Credit: PTI)}

Professor of a private educational institute Debashish Ghosh says, "The condition of suburban areas is the worst where electricity is provided by WBSEDCL. At various places in short distances, electric poles are lying uprooted or broken, or some branches of the nearing tree have fallen over to short the electric lines. The enormous number of faults makes it uncertain as to when the electricity will resume."

Even the phone networks are down and the communication system is immensely hampered. Tapatrisha Das, journalist of a reputed media says, "I am stuck in Delhi due to the coronavirus lockdown. I have been trying to reach my family in Kolkata since yesterday, I am unable to. No phone network, internet or anything else is working in my house and nearby area. I don't even know if my family is fine."

Almost thousands of trees have been uprooted due to the storm in Kolkata, though the damage is still being assessed. As a result, most of the roads are blocked. The storm was so powerful that many buildings have been collapsed in the city. The heart of the city, College Street, known as ‘Boi Para’ is devastated. The condition of the small book shops is so disastrous that the books are floating in the water. 

Kolkata scriptwriter Amay Deb Roy, a resident of College Street says, "When I went outside today in the morning, it was looking like debris. The storm had stopped. But College Street, Surya Sen Street were all waterlogged. The trees were uprooted and birds’ nests were all destroyed. The whole city looked so frightened. Mobile network is down and is not allowing to communicate with people. But still, I am feeling privileged as I have a shelter to stay safe and sufficient amount of food for my appetite. But there are people who have lost everything." 

Reports say that in the North and South 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, the roofs of thatched houses have been blown away by the strong winds. Cornfields of the villages have been swept out which has caused huge damage to the farmers. The Sundarban delta region to has been badly affected. The super cyclone has left thousands of people homeless. The chief minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee announced Rs 2.5 lakhs for those affected. She has said, "I have never seen such a disaster before. I will ask the PM to visit the state and see the situation." 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reportedly visit West Bengal on Friday to inspect the aftermath of the cyclone. He will arrive at Kolkata Airport at 10 o'clock in the morning. But some of the netizens have expressed dissatisfaction as he took 18 hours to give his reaction on this disastrous storm on twitter. 

Kolkata theatre artist Satyaki Tat says, "This crisis clearly shows the central government and the national media's approach towards Bengal. No pro-active measures from the Government. National media is also not interested to show Bengal's misery. But I am hopeful, we will come out of this, we are strong enough to fix our own problems. High time we throw out the petty politics, let us stay united, we have to, more than ever." 

The horrendous storm has left a devastating impact on Odisha and Bangladesh too. In Odisha, around 5 lakh people are affected and in Bangladesh, lakhs of houses have been destroyed.

22-05, 15:57 Updated for death toll.