Cyclone Yaas: PM Modi to visit West Bengal, Odisha tomorrow
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Odisha and West Bengal tomorrow to review the impact of Cyclone Yaas in the two states. Earlier in the day, PM Modi tweeted saying he had discussed with officials the relief and rehabilitation efforts being carried out in these states. The "very severe" cyclonic storm hit Odisha and West Bengal over the past couple of days.
The PM will first head to Bhubaneswar to meet officials and discuss the relief operations they are carrying out there. He will then take an aerial survey of the affected areas in Balasore and Bhadrak in Odisha, and then in West Bengal's East Midnapore region. PM Modi is also expected to briefly meet West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during his visit.
Confirming her meet with the PM, Banerjee said today, "The Prime Minister is coming to West Bengal on May 28." "Before the meeting with PM Modi, I will have an aerial survey at Sandeshkhali and Hingalganj in North 24 Parganas. Then, I will visit Sagar Island at South 24 Parganas to review the damage and devastation due to Cyclone Yaas," she told reporters.
Banerjee said more than one crore people were affected by Cyclone Yaas and nearly 15 lakh were shifted to shelter homes. A package of Rs. 1,000 crore has been released for immediate relief by the state government, she added. The CM also asked district officials to ensure adequate supply of drinking water and food to the affected people.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik also took stock of the on-ground situation through an aerial survey. CM Patnaik has announced a seven-day relief for all the families living in 128 villages of cyclone-hit districts. All the major roads and 80% of electricity supply would be restored in the next 24 hours, the CM had said last evening.
The "very severe" cyclonic storm has weakened into a depression and moved toward Jharkhand, according to the weather department. In that state, at least eight lakh people have been affected and around 15,000 were moved to shelters. Overall, at least four people died, more than 20 lakh were evacuated, and hundreds of villages were left destroyed due to the cyclone.
