Sitrang impact: Coastal districts of West Bengal on high alert

Kolkata, Oct 24 (IANS) With cyclone Sitrang intensifying into a deep depression on Sunday night, coastal districts of South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas and East Midnapore in West Bengal have started experiencing rainfall.

Even the state capital of Kolkata has started feeling the impact of the approaching cyclone with cloudy skies and light rainfall in certain pockets since Monday morning.

As per the predictions of the IMD department, Sitrang is expected to have its landfall between Tinkona Island and Sandwip in Bangladesh on early Tuesday morning with the maximum wind speed between 100 and 110 kilometres per hour. The wind speed can be as high as 90 kilometres in certain pockets of the coastal districts.

The tail of cyclone Sitrang will have maximum impact in the three coastal districts of South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas and East Midnapore in Bengal causing medium to heavy rainfall and rise in the water levels. At the same time, light to medium rainfall is also expected in the districts of Howrah, Nadia as well in the state capital.

However, the IMD department has ruled out the possibility of cyclone Sitrang playing any major havoc as was witnessed in the earlier two occasions of cyclone Amphan in May 2020 and Yaas in May 2021. Owing to the coinciding spring tide, the state administration is especially alert in the coastal districts.

Meanwhile, all possible measures are being taken to avoid any massacre like loss of life because of the approaching cyclone. As many as 14 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in different coastal belts and sea-resorts in the state. Ferry-services will remain suspended in these areas till the time the weather conditions improve. Strict restrictions have been imposed on the fishermen venturing in deep-seas for fishing during that period.

The coastal police stations have been kept on high alert. Strict restrictions have been imposed on the tourists from going to the sea beaches. Boulders have been placed at several places in the coastal belts of the state to prevent rising water levels from flooding the nearby localities. The state administration is constantly in touch with the Coast Guard.