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The cyclone Amphan was one of the worst storms that form over the Bay of Bengal in the last few years
Calcutta:
The Indian Army was in action in Bengal on Sunday, helping the Mamata Banerjee government to deal with the aftermath of the Cyclone Amphan, which tore through coastal Bengal and a large part of Calcutta, on Wednesday, the uprooting of thousands of trees, destroying tens of thousands of homes and leaving lakhs without power, water and sanitation.
Visual effects of the news agency ANI showed the soldiers removing tree stumps, cleaning up streets and help the NDRF in the Salt Lake, Behala, and Golpark areas of Calcutta. Three columns had been sent to the city on Saturday night, and two others to the North and the South 24 Paraganas district, hours after the state requested support “for the immediate restoration of essential infrastructure and services”.
The Army and the NDRF were not the only ones in Kolkata, in the streets, with angry citizens demanding the restoration of electricity, water and mobile phone coverage, all of which have been altered from the cyclone, one of the worst that have been formed over the Bay of Bengal in the last few years, all of a sudden.
According to PTI, there were protests in areas close to Tollygunge, including Netaji Nagar – whose residents said they hired machinery to remove tree stumps after the authorities failed to help despite requests to restore the electricity supply.
There were also protests in New Alipore in south Calcutta; while residents in the south-west of Kolkata, at Behala said that they had been forced to buy water supply, had still not been restored.
Telecommunications restoration work in the city and adjoining districts, which include North and South 24 Paraganas, were also affected by the protests today, according to PTI, with around 50 per cent of the base transceiver stations – that allows mobile, voice and data communication – still no connection.
An autorickshaw was damaged during the Cyclone Amphan
There were protests on the outskirts of the state capital also.
In the North 24 Paraganas district Titagarh, residents of agitation against what they said was a delayed reaction by the government to help them. Some of the protests even turned violent, forcing the local police to use batons to disperse the crowd.
The West Bengal State Electricity Distribution company Limited (WBSEDCL) has restored power to several affected areas in Calcutta and North and South 24 Paraganas districts, the Home of the Department of twitter Sunday night, with electricity restored to the water supply and to the hospitals.
In general, 240 of 273 damaged substations in Amhpan-hit districts have been repaired and power has been restored in 94 per cent of Calcutta, the government said Sunday night, adding that several water and drainage pumping stations had also been restored.
The chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called for patience as his government battles to restore power and other essential services, a challenge that has been made more difficult by having to devote resources and manpower to fight against the coronavirus outbreak.
The wind caused by the storm damaged a residential building of the outer wall
“This is a big disaster. We have to have patience, because no one has seen such a disaster before,” Ms Banerjee said today, adding that “we’re not sitting doing nothing… A shortage of labour arising from the COVID-19 pandemic is limp with relief and restoration efforts”.
Saturday, an exasperated prime Minister, who has been linked with damage to Bengal in the Rs 1 lakh crore, he said, “the only thing I can say is, then, cut off the head”, when asked about the resentment of the public.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who undertook an aerial survey of regions affected by the side Ms Banerjee and Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, has announced Rs 1,000 crore in aid for the state.
With the entry of ANI, PTI
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