Mamata conducts aerial survey of cyclone-hit areas;toll rises

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday conducted an aerial survey of the cyclone Bulbul-ravaged areas of South 24 Parganas district and announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of each of those killed in the storm.

Banerjee also distributed relief materials to people affected by the cyclone that left a trail of destruction in the state.

Death toll in cyclonic storm Bulbul related incidents has risen to 14 in Bengal.

Bodies of four out of the nine fishermen who went missing after their trawler capsized off Mousuni Island in West Bengal under the impact of cyclone Bulbul Saturday midnight have been recovered in a joint operation by the Indian Coast Guard and the NDRF increasing the deaths count to 14 so far.

She also lauded the district administration for its initiatives to minimise the impact of cyclone and said the feat also earned the state applaud from the central government.

"My administration did a commendable job. The devastation, otherwise, could have been far more... If they (officials) had not rescued 1.78 lakh people, I cannot say what would have happened. They will be rewarded. Even the central government applauded (their efforts)," she said.

The CM, following an aerial survey of the cyclone- ravaged areas of Namkhana and Bakkhali, held an administrative meeting here to review the work being undertaken in the aftermath of the disaster.

Urging people to stay positive and not to indulge in politics but stand beside those who need immediate help, Banerjee also stressed that restoration of power supply, provision of clean drinking water and medicines were the need of the hour.

She also asked officials to reach out to people and ensure that the aid was evenly distributed without affecting peace in the region.

Banerjee also constituted task forces under respective district magistrates at the three districts to overlook into the relief and restoration work.

She also appointed Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha as the head of these task force - which, she said, would be reviewing the ongoing relief work every 48 hours.

She urged people to "stay positive" and stand beside those who have been affected by the cyclone.

Cyclone Bulbul, which made landfall between Sagar Islands in South 24 Parganas and Khepupara in Bangladesh Saturday midnight, claimed at least 14 lives and affected six lakh people in different parts of Bengal.

As many as 1.78 lakh people have been shifted to 471 relief camps set up in the state.

Taking note of the damage caused to betel leaf cultivation and paddy in the district, the TMC supremo directed departments of irrigation, forest and power to work in tandem for restoring normalcy.

The Trinamool Congress supremo also advised the officials to take help of civic volunteers of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDR) to speed up the relief operations.

A total of 323 kitchens have been opened to cater to the cyclone-hit families and 94 boats employed to aid in the restoration work, the CM said.

"As of now, reports suggest that six lakh people have been affected by the cyclone. The number might increase in the days to come," she added.

Banerjee is set to visit cyclone-hit areas of Basirhat in North 24-Parganas on Wednesday.

State Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar appreciated Banerjee visitng the cyclone-affected areas and said he would extend all form of assistance if needed.

So far, 14 people have died in the cyclone out of which five were from North 24 Parganas district, two from South 24 Parganas district, one each from Medinipore and the capital city.

On Monday, bodies of four fishermen, who went missing after their trawler capsized off near Mousuni Island following the landfall of cyclone Bulbun, were recovered.

Body of one of their fellow fisherman was recovered from near Fraserganj on Sunday taking the total number of people killed in the natural disaster to 14 so far, a senior official of the state disaster management said.

The severe cyclonic storm, which brought in its wake heavy rain coupled with gale wind till early Sunday, uprooted hundreds of trees and snapped cables in the city and its adjoining areas in North and South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore, bring life to a near-halt.