Cyclone Bulbul: 34 NDRF teams in WB, Odisha

The NDRF has stationed a total of 34 teams in West Bengal and Odisha in view of the approaching severe cyclone Bulbul, a senior official said Friday.

Seventeen teams each have been stationed in the two states and the National Disaster Response Force is prepared to tackle any eventuality, NDRF Director General S N Pradhan said here.

An NDRF team has about 45 personnel.

Pradhan said out of the total teams in Odisha, six have been deployed while the rest are in reserve. Similarly in West Bengal, 10 teams of the counter-disaster force have been deployed while the rest are on standby.

"All preparations have ben done and our teams are in touch with the administrative authorities of both West Bengal and Odisha," he said.

The National Crisis Management Committee, headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, on Friday took stock of the preparedness for rescue and relief operations for 'Bulbul', which is likely to hit Odisha and West Bengal.

The IMD has said the cyclone, which had developed over Bay of Bengal, has now intensified and is likely to cross the West Bengal coast by early Sunday morning.

Heavy-to-extremely heavy rainfall, accompanied by winds reaching up to 110-120kmph and tidal waves up to 1.5 metres, are expected.