An apocalyptic super cyclone, Amphan, clobbered West Bengal after its landfall at Digha. Odisha too has been affected. A report by Arindam, exclusively for Different Truths. 

The eye of the super cyclone Amphan, measuring 30 feet in diameter, with a wind speed of 185 kmph, and waves up to 15 feet high, ripped through four districts of West Bengal, and parts of Odisha, on Wednesday.

As rain and winds lashed West Bengal, shanties were blown away, lamposts twisted, trees uprooted, and low lying areas were swamped. The devastation caused 72 deaths, as per the latest media reports.

As rain and winds lashed West Bengal, shanties were blown away, lamposts twisted, trees uprooted, and low lying areas were swamped. The devastation caused 72 deaths, as per the latest media reports.

After ravaging West Bengal and Odisha, a significantly weakened cyclone hit Bangladesh. Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, sought assistance from the Centre. CPM declared that the calamity in two Indian states to be declared a national disaster.

Media reports quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating the entire nation is in solidarity with West Bengal’s challenging times.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are operational. “We will continue to provide services till states (Odisha & West Bengal) require services that are expected to be required for a longer time in West Bengal,” said NDRF Chief SN Pradhan.

News Agency ANI added that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are operational. “We will continue to provide services till states (Odisha & West Bengal) require services that are expected to be required for a longer time in West Bengal,” said NDRF Chief SN Pradhan.

Pradhan added, “The Union Cabinet Secretary held a meeting with the West Bengal and Odisha Chief Secretaries to estimate the damage and response, earlier today. Normalcy will return in the next 24 to 48 hours in Odisha.”

Despite largescale havoc, Kolkata airport became operational from 12 noon, on Thursday. The Kolkata Airport authorities in a tweet stated that first flight, a Russian chartered plane landed at 1431 hrs for the evacuation of stranded Russian nationals. The first departure was SpiceJet cargo flight for Delhi.

Despite largescale havoc, Kolkata airport became operational from 12 noon, on Thursday.

Prof Basudeb Chakraborti, former Deam of Kalyani University, in his seventies, said in a telephonic talk, “I haven’t seen such destructions in my lifetime.”

Sukanya Basu Mallik from Kolkata informed:

Super cyclone Amphan made its landfall in West Bengal’s Digha. Twelve people were killed in West Bengal, two in Odisha and seven in Bangladesh.

Mamata termed the rampage of the cyclone to be worse than Coronavirus. Though five lakh people were evacuated, state and district administrations had not entirely anticipated the ferocity of the storm. The CM also said that the hardest-hit areas were not accessible.

Mamata termed the rampage of the cyclone to be worse than Coronavirus. Though five lakh people were evacuated, state and district administrations had not entirely anticipated the ferocity of the storm. The CM also said that the hardest-hit areas were not accessible.

“Bengal is traumatised. And this is a report about privileged, urban residents of Kolkata,” said a school teacher, Nibedita.

The damage is feared to be of the magnitude of 13.2 billion USD, according to media reports. Local news channels broadcast that the districts North and South 24 Parganas are almost destroyed. Connections to the Sunderbans have been lost; East Midnapore is in dooms. Crops have been flattened. And salt has been deposited on fertile soil. Millions of people have lost their dwellings. Rural Bengal is devastated.

On social media, the outpourings were desolate.

Subho Sarkar shared Poulomee Bhowal’s news feed that reads:

At this moment, no other state of India is in a more dangerous situation than Bengal. Corona spread count here has gone over 3000 and has claimed more than 250 lives already.

The number of impacted people will easily cross a few hundred thousand. The damage is feared to be of the magnitude of 13.2 billion USD. In short, it has broken Bengal’s back.

To top it off, yesterday a large part of the state was devastated by the cyclone #Amphan. The death count is already more than 10, based on whatever little news could be obtained so far. The number of impacted people will easily cross a few hundred thousand. The damage is feared to be of the magnitude of 13.2 billion USD. In short, it has broken Bengal’s back.

But there is almost no national media coverage for such a disastrous natural calamity in India. No national channel tried to cover it properly. Yet from social networking we know that the districts North and South 24 Parganas are practically destroyed; connections to the Sunderbans have been completely lost; East Midnapore is in a terrible state. Thousands of people lost their homes. Crops have been destroyed, salt deposited on arable land. Millions of helpless people in Bengal are looking at a very bleak future.

Will nobody care about their tears and sufferings?

We shall spread the information, even if the mainstream media ignores us. We, who use Facebook/Twitter/Instagram. Let us use these social media platforms to talk about the people of Bengal. Let us help them by being vocal for them.

Yes, they will. We shall spread the information, even if the mainstream media ignores us. We, who use Facebook/Twitter/Instagram. Let us use these social media platforms to talk about the people of Bengal. Let us help them by being vocal for them. Let us make these two hashtags, #SaveBengal #HelpBengal trending so much that nobody can ignore this disaster which has struck Bengal mercilessly.

It is a responsibility we all Indians must shoulder. Let us keep politics aside and fight this together.

#SaveBengal

#HelpBengal

From a forwarded WhatsApp message:

Anyone living in south Bengal or with friends and family in Bengal know that they have aged 10 years in just one evening. There was no power in Kolkata, networks were down, I couldn’t reach my parents for several hours. Houses in the city have been battered, there’s floodwater inside houses from the apocalyptic rains.

Anyone living in south Bengal or with friends and family in Bengal know that they have aged 10 years in just one evening. There was no power in Kolkata, networks were down, I couldn’t reach my parents for several hours. Houses in the city have been battered, there’s floodwater inside houses from the apocalyptic rains.

Power is being restored now, in parts, but several areas are still in complete darkness. Almost nothing remains of the Bengal coast, Sunderbans completely ravaged and destroyed. South and North 24 Parganas utterly demolished as well. Historically, the Indo-Gangetic delta (Sunderbans) has always protected mainland Bengal from cyclones, facing the worst of it. It is also our most vibrant ecosystem that relentlessly fights against the moods of the sea, keeping the rest of us safe. Today, she tried as well but Amphan was too wild for that.

Perhaps another strange sight was the Chief Minister of Bengal practically crumbling on TV. Now, she has her myriad issues but in almost 10 years of her rule, I have hardly ever seen her look so defeated. She said, “everything is over” several times and she looked defeated as if the fighting spark in her was completely gone. And understandably so.

Perhaps another strange sight was the Chief Minister of Bengal practically crumbling on TV. Now, she has her myriad issues but in almost 10 years of her rule, I have hardly ever seen her look so defeated. She said, “everything is over” several times and she looked defeated as if the fighting spark in her was completely gone.

Bengal has been reeling under economic crisis due to COVID-19. Tourism and hospitality were already affected (the coast and hills in Bengal are huge revenue churners). After Amphan, we just lost our fishing revenues, our honey-making industries of Sundarbans, thousands rendered homeless amidst a pandemic and massive losses in agriculture in parts of south Bengal as farmlands have been ruined by the cyclone too.

There is still heartbreaking news of migrant workers trying to find their way home amidst all of this. We don’t know if they have homes to go back to anymore. There’s particular concern about Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh too.

There is still heartbreaking news of migrant workers trying to find their way home amidst all of this. We don’t know if they have homes to go back to anymore. There’s particular concern about Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh too.

There’s little to no hope for Bengal. The CM has asked the Centre to help us out of this crisis. Amphan’s devastation has made it a national disaster. The Centre must keep its political agenda aside and help Bengal. They have provided no aid to this country since 2014 and they cannot refuse to help now.

Here’s hoping my home survives because it must. Here’s hoping we find courage in us to rebuild our home.

Meanwhile, NRIs or those working in different states passed sleepless nights as they could not contact their parents, most of them aged, and other family members, in Bengal and Odisha.

(This report has inputs from Sukanya Basu Mallik, Subho Sarkar, and forwarded message via Whatsapp)

 Photos from Social Media and Internet