Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister on Wednesday said one crore people were affected in the state due to cyclone 'Yaas', which whiplashed the country's eastern coasts, dumping heavy rain and damaging houses and farmlands.
One person also died "accidentally" when he had gone out fishing, she said.
"West Bengal has been the most affected because we also experienced high tide along with the cyclone fury.
"At least one crore people were impacted, and three lakh houses and 134 embankments damaged," she told reporters at the state secretariat.
Also read: Yaas was devastating for Bengal but not as much as Amphan
Places which bore the brunt of the very severe cyclone include Sandeshkhali, Hindolganj, Hashnabad and Haora in North 24 Parganas as well as Namkhana, Gosaba, Fraserganj, Kulti, Basanti, Canning and Budge Budge in South 24 Parganas, the CM said.
Banerjee said the extreme natural event also wreaked havoc in Digha, Tajpur, Shankarpur, Ramnagar, Kontai, Nandigram, Kolaghat and Uluberia.
West Bengal had shifted over 15 lakh people to safer accommodations ahead of the cyclone, amid concerns over spread of COVID-19 at temporary shelters in the face of the raging second wave of the pandemic.
"We will conduct field surveys to ascertain the actual damage to embankments, government buildings and other structures. The DMs will file a comprehensive report on this. It will take us at least 72 hours to get a clear picture," she said.
Also read: Cyclone Yaas rips through southern West Bengal
Banerjee said she would undertake an aerial survey of the affected areas in Purba Medinipur, South and North 24 Parganas districts, Sunderbans and the Digha region on Friday.
"Around 14,000 relief camps are being operated in the state, where 10 lakh tarpaulins, clothes and food materials have been sent," the chief minister said.
Concerned about another high tide situation which could lead to inundation of low-lying areas in the metropolis and other districts, she asked police officers to alert locals in such places.
As a precautionary measure, power supply was stopped during the day at many low-lying areas where water-logging was
reported.
PTI
