Cyclone Fani to hit Kolkata 8:30pm today; CM Mamata cancels her rallies for 2 days

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will also stay in Kaharagpur, near coastal belt and monitor the situation herself, today and tomorrow. All her political campaigns for the two days have been cancelled.

Mamata Banerjee

New Delhi: After creating ruckus in Odisha, cyclone Fani will strike West Bengal at 8:30 pm on Friday evening. For safety purposes, NDRF teams have been deployed and the teams have evacuated total 132 people in Digha so far, including 52 children from Dattapur and Tajpur. All the evacuated people have been taken to a safe shelter. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will also stay in Kaharagpur, near coastal belt and monitor the situation herself, today and tomorrow. All her political campaigns for the two days have been cancelled. All the operations of Kokata airport have also been cancelled in the wake of the cyclone. Airports Authority of India has also issued  a statement on the airport’s operations saying, “No flight to & from Kolkata Airport from 3 pm today to 8 am tomorrow (IST). Closure timing revised from earlier announced 9.30 pm today to 6 pm tomorrow”. All the schools and educational institutions have also declared an off in West Bengal. Extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani made landfall on the eastern coast wreaking havoc in Odisha on Friday. Despite extensive damage cuased by near 200 kmph winds and heavy to very heavy rainfall, no loss of life has been reported so far. Damaging houses, thousands of trees and electricity poles, uprooting trees, the eye of Fani almost 25 km in diametre is sending off wind velocity of 150 to 175 kmph and even above at some places touching 180 or more, said the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). The eye of the cyclone which was even an hour back party over the Bay of Bengal has completely moved inland. The cyclone started crossing into the Odisha coast close to Puri between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Friday. The process of landfall will continue till 1 p.m.