Amphan deaths in Bengal cross 72 ...Toll expected to rise as reports are yet to reach state administrative headquarters

Pranesh Sarkar, TT, 22.05.20, Calcutta: Chief minister Ma­­mata Banerjee said on Thursday that Cyclone Am­­phan had resulted in at least 72 deaths before announcing that the state go­vernment would give Rs 2.5 lakh to the family of each of the victims.

In Calcutta alone, the dea­th toll was 19. No­r­th 24-Pa­rganas and Howrah recorded 17 and eight deaths, respectively.

“Most of the deaths were be­cause of either electrocuti­on or uprooted trees. We will gi­­­ve Rs 2.5 lakh each to the ne­xt of kin of those who died. It (the cy­clone) has devastated se­veral districts, but four of th­em (Calcutta, North and South 24-Parganas and East Midna­p­o­re) we­re worst hit,” said the chief minister, who chaired a review me­­eting at Nabanna.

The death toll, said sources, was expected to rise as reports on the extent of damage from some of the remote places along coastal Bengal were yet to reach the state administrative headquarters because of a virtual collapse of the communication networks.

Even as officials were busy collating reports from the districts to assess the ground situation, the state government on Thursday set up a Rs 1,000-crore fund to start initial relief, repair and restoration.

“The requirement is much more, but with this fund we can at least start restoring the essential services,” said Mam­ata, who repeatedly unders­co­red at the review meeting the colossal scale of the damage.

The state government is in dire need of central assistance to fight the Covid-19 outbreak and relief-rehabilitation-res­toration in the post-Amphan phase. “We are hoping that the Prime Minister’s visit will be helpful for us,” said a source.

During the review meeting, the chief minister explained in detail the need for “a huge amount of funds”.

“Trees have fallen, roads got damaged, embankments were breached, electricity poles got uprooted, farmlands were devastated and the telecommunication system got wiped out.… We had never seen a cyclone that continued rampaging for eight hours at a stretch,” said the chief minister, adding that the state government would prepare a detailed report on the destruction in the districts after getting feedback from there.

“We hope that we will get required assistance (from the Centre),” Mamata said.

Even as the Centre didn’t release anything other than some lofty promises, the chief minister said she was activating the entire machinery in the state, laying emphasis on relief and rehabilitation first and then restoration of emergency services in the affected areas.

The disaster management department was asked to get ready with tarpaulins while the food and supplies department was told to ensure that the district magistrates get required food grains to give general relief to the affected.

Chief secretary Rajiva Sinha assured the chief minister that the state government has enough rice stocks to provide relief to the affected.

Stress was also laid on restoration of supply of electricity as 60 per cent of the substations in eight districts — North and South 24-Parganas, East and West Midnapore, Nadia, Howrah, Hooghly and Malda — had been damaged in the cyclone. Large parts of the state suffered power outages.

“Repair of important roads and embankments would also have to be carried out,” said the chief minister.

The assessment of agriculture losses will be done within seven days and, thereafter, a plan would be chalked out to help the affected farmers, Mamata said.