With cyclone Bulbul having moved towards Bangladesh, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is on a war footing to clear away the uprooted trees in the city, some of which are slanted in a precarious position, posing a danger to pedestrians and vehicles.
The Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT), meanwhile, provided food and shelter to around 200 people at the Sagar Pilot Station. Cyclone Bulbul, that wrecked havoc in the state and in the city, has finally moved towards Bangladesh.
With strong winds coupled with gusts, several trees were uprooted in the city yesterday, killing one person at Ballygunge and injuring an elderly woman at Topsia.
KMC control room gave out a list of the areas where trees were uprooted in the cyclone. Some of the places are Southern Avenue, Topsia, Ballygunge, Jodhpur Park, Kalikapur, Survey Park etc.
At Southern Avenue, a tree was hanging in a precarious position with vehicles passing below it. At Topsia, last night, an elderly woman was injured after a tree fell on her.
The mayor, Firhad Hakim, who was monitoring the situation from the KMC control room said “The NDRF, along with the KMC, police, and fire personnel, is working on a war footing to clear road blockades caused by fallen trees and branches. We have already engaged workers for cleaning the roads and pumping out water from low-lying areas. Medicines have also been kept ready since the torrential rainfall could cause a further spread of dengue.”
A KMC official said: “All work of clearing trees will be completed by tonight.”
The state disaster management minister Javed Khan said that all emergency services have been put in place to ensure the uprooted trees are removed at the earliest. Meanwhile, the Kolkata Port Trust has provided shelter to 200 people at the Sagar Pilot station of KoPT in South 24-Parganas.
The spokesperson informed that storm-stricken villagers had rushed to the pilot station during the cyclone to take shelter. Though there was not much space or rations to provide them with food and shelter, the pilots decided to make food for all 200 people, out of the stored rations at the station.
They were served food in the corridors of the station by the commander, pilots and other staff. It was learnt that the villagers are today heading towards their homes after it was announced that the storm has passed. The KoPT spokesperson further informed that shipping services which had to be suspended due to the cyclone, has resumed today at Haldia and Kolkata.