Ahead Of Remal Landfall, PM Modi Holds Meet To Check Preparations: 10 Points

The Meteorological department has said “Remal” has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and is expected to make landfall between Bangladesh and West Bengal coasts by midnight, with wind speeds ranging from 110-120 km per hour and gusts reaching up to 135 kmph.Coastal districts are expected to experience extremely heavy rainfall, while Kolkata and its surroundings may encounter heavy to very heavy rainfall.Kolkata airport authorities have suspended flight operations for 21 hours starting at noon today. The Eastern and South Eastern Railways have cancelled several trains.A total of 394 flights – both international and domestic – will not operate during the flight suspension period, an Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said.Kolkata and its adjoining districts have been receiving Intermittent showers and gusty winds since morning. Traffic has been thin on the roads.Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim convened a meeting with officials in the afternoon to assess preparedness for the impending cyclone. He added that approximately 15,000 civic employees have been mobilised to address post-cyclone scenarios.The Bengal government has evacuated around 1.10 lakh people from coastal regions, including the Sundarbans and Sagar Island, to secure shelters.Authorities in the coastal areas, especially in Digha, Shankarpur, and Tajpur, have issued advisories urging tourists to vacate hotels and refrain from venturing into the seas as a precautionary measure.16 battalions each from the state disaster management and NDRF have been deployed in the coastal areas, enhancing rescue and relief operations, reported news agency Press Trust of India.In Bangladesh, over 800,000 people from vulnerable areas have been evacuated to shelters on Sunday as Bangladesh.

(The Kolkata Police has also announced two helpline numbers – 9432610428 and 9432610429 – for citizens)