India on high alert for super cyclone Amphan, Air Force on stand by : NDRF

National Disaster Response Force on Tuesday informed that the Indian Air Force has been put on standby while the evacuation in the coastal area is underway.

New Delhi:The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on Tuesday informed that the Indian Air Force has been put on standby in view of the super cyclone Amphan having its origin in the Bay of Bengal.

"We have put Air Force on standby to transport more NDRF personnel from nearby states as the super cyclone Amphan is likely to make its landing in West Bengal on Wednesday possibly with severe damages," said SN Pradhan, director-general of National Disaster Response Force.

The NDRF and district administrations have started major evacuation drive from the coastal areas of Odisha and West Bengal. Pradhan said that Amphan will be extremely severe cyclone when it will make its landfall on May 20. As many as 41 NDRF tram have already been deployed in West Bengal and Odisha. He said that this is the second disaster coming as India is already fighting the COVD-19 pandemic.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said that super cyclone Amphan is likely to cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) close to Sundarbans during afternoon-evening of May 20 with a wind speed of 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph. IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mahapatra said that the cyclone will severely hit coastal areas of West Bengal and Odisha and sub-Himalayan states like Assam, Meghalaya and Sikkim.

"There will be no impact of the cyclone in North India," Mahapatra clarified. He said that in West Bengal districts like North and South 24 Paraganas and East Midnapore, Kolkata, Hooghly, Howrah and West Midnapore will be majorly affected. "This is the second super cyclone which has been formed in the Bay of Bengal after 1999 (Cyclone Fani). It's wind speed in the sea right now is 200-240 kmph. "It's moving towards the northwestward direction," Mahapatra added. He said that IMD is utilising all tools and technologies to monitor it and is expecting a slight delay in the arrival of monsoon in Kerala due to tropical cyclone.

"Monsoon is expected to hit Kerala coast by June 5," said Mahapatra. Anshu Prakash, secretary in the Department of Telecommunications said that SMS alerts are being generated to people in affected districts in local languages for the process of evacuation.

"It is up to the state governments that in what frequency they want to send alerts. It's free of costs which is being provided by the telecom operators," said Prakash. He said that telecom service providers have been asked to arrange sufficient number of generator sets with enough diesel and station them in all district so that if there is any power disruption then the towers can be restarted with the help of this Gensets.

The Power Ministry too has taken all arrangement in view of Amphan. "Transmission lines and substations situated in high impact areas of Amphan have been identified and placed on high alert. Required restoration system has been put in place at identified locations," said SKG Rahate, additional power secretary. He said that emergency restoration system has been set up to handle power disruptions in both Odisha and West Bengal.

"24/7 control room is operational in Kolkata Bhubaneswar and power grid headquarter," said Rahate. Earlier in the day, Home Minister Amit Shah talked with Chief Minister of West Bengal and Odisha and assured them of all central help. During the day, cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba also reviewed the preparedness for Amphan cyclone in the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) meeting.

Chief Secretaries of Odisha and additional chief secretary of West Bengal also took part in the meeting that took place through video conferencing.