MHA team will make an assessment of damages caused by AMPHAN in Odisha, WB, says NDRF

NORMALCY affected by cyclone Amphan in Odisha is expected to be restored in  24 to 48 hours. It has caused much more devastation in West Bengal compared to Odisha due to the landfall there. A team of Home Ministry officials will visit the two states to make an assessment of the damages, said Director General of National Disaster Force (NDRF), SN Pradhan. Addressing media in New Delhi on Friday, May 22, he said Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba chaired a meet of National Crisis Management Committee to review the post-cyclone situation in which  Chief Secretaries of West Bengal and Odisha were present. The post-cyclone situation in  Odisha is under control. The weather has moderated in Odisha and some people have started returning to their homes. Soon after Cyclone Amphan landfall yesterday near coastal Bengal, NDRF teams had fanned out and started work as per deployment in Odisha in the afternoon itself and by evening in West Bengal.  NDRF  Teams deployed are operational and we will continue to provide services till states require services. NDRF teams worked throughout the night to clear roads and restore normalcy as soon as possible. Around 5 lakh people evacuated in West Bengal have been told to remain in shelters while in Odisha more than 2.37 lakh people in Odisha were evacuated, NDRF DG said. The forecast of the IMD about the Cyclone was totally accurate. The NDRF is very grateful to IMD for alerting it about the impending cyclone. The accurate climatological intelligence provided by IMD has enabled the NDRF to minimize loss of lives and property in the cyclone-hit areas It has centered over Bangladesh, Pradhan  said adding there is also no threat of cyclone in Bangladesh as it has converted into a deep depression