With Cyclone Titli due to hit parts of Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh coasts early on Thursday, the South Eastern Railway (SER) on Wednesday suspended services on several routes to prevent any untoward incidents.
The SER decided to suspend all Up and Down trains between Khurda Road and Vizianagaram after 10 p.m. on Wednesday till further advice from the met office is received.
While trains between Shalimar and Secunderabad were cancelled on Wednesday, several other trains were either rescheduled or terminated for a short period.
As informed by senior official at Lal Bazar, the National Disaster Response Force has been kept on alert to handle any situation of emergency.
The forecast issued by the India Meteorological Department about the cyclone intensifying in the next 12 hours, and likely to bring heavy rainfall to the city, created concerns among some of the Puja organisers in the city.
Several Puja organisers geared up to face the advancing cyclone while fearing that it could prove to be a spoilsport in their efforts to make this year’s Puja a cherishable one for their visitors.
With the met officials predicting that the cyclonic storm might bring gale wind speed of 130 to 140 kmph, over the coastal areas of the state, 74 Palli Sarbojonin engaged artisans to double-check if their pandal was fixed properly. Similarly, FD Block Sarbojonin Club in Salt Lake City, has taken steps to lay artificial grass on the paths leading to the pandal.
“As there is forecast of rains tomorrow, we have also tiled the floor of the cave to prevent the area from getting messed up,” said Soumitra Mukhopadhyay, secretary of the club.
Simultaneously, Santoshmitra Square, that is supposed to bedazzle the crowd with a silver chariot, decided to cancel the horses being attached to the huge vehicle. “The rain might discomfit the horses, hence we decided not to attach the horses to the silver chariot and wait till there are further announcements from the weather office,” said Sajal Ghosh, the secretary of Santosh Mitra Square Sarbojonin Durgotsav Samity.
As the city experience drizzles through the afternoon, Kalikata Sarbojanin Durgotsav Committee temporarily covered the painted canvas put up at the entrance, while hoping to get some respite from the rain in the period before the pandal hoppers throng their pandal.
Meanwhile, 47 Pally decided to bring forward the inauguration of their pandal to receive as many visitors before the rains can dampen the Puja mood of the pandal hoppers.