Cyclone 'Remal' weakens, further diminishment expected by evening: NDRF
New Delhi: The severe cyclonic storm 'Remal' has weakened since making landfall last night and is expected to downgrade into a deep depression by this evening, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) announced on Monday.
The NDRF made the announcement based on the latest update from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
"The current information that we have from the IMD is that the severe cyclonic storm has now transformed into a cyclonic storm. The wind speed, which was earlier about 110 to 120 km/hr during landfall, now has come down to 60 to 70 km/hr," NDRF Deputy Inspector General Mohsen Shahedi told ANI when asked about the status of 'Remal' after its landfall. Pointing out the downfall in the intensity of the cyclone, Shahedi said "This is a big relief and it is expected that by evening today, this will further change into a deep depression."
Questioned about the loss of lives and damage to properties due to the cyclone, the NDRF officer said: "From the information that we have, one death has taken place in Kolkata due to wall collapse. Restoration work is in progress. NDRF teams are deployed, 14 teams are deployed in major affected areas in the state and six SDRF teams are also deployed to assist... Apart from 14 teams in West Bengal, we have one team in Tripura just as a precautionary measure."
In the wake of severe cyclonic storm 'Remal', which made landfall last midnight, the NDRF had deployed its 14 teams to vulnerable areas of nine districts of West Bengl: Hooghly-1, Howrah-1, South 24 Parganas-3, North 24 Parganas-2, Purba Medinipur -2, Paschim Meddanipur-2, Kolkata-1, Murshidabad -1, Nadia-1.
Apart from that additional teams have been earmarked to move on short notice as per requirement, the NDRF DIG further added.
Since the issuance of early warning from IMD, NDRF teams were made available to the state and district administration for evacuating people to safer places and cyclone shelters wherever required and sensitizing localities about the preventive measures.
NDRF Headquarters is closely monitoring development and coordination has been made at all levels.
