Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday spoke to chief ministers of West Bengal and Odisha, Mamata Banerjee and Navin Patnaik, respectively, and assured them of all possible help to deal with the situation arising out of the super cyclone 'Amphan', officials said.
During the telephonic conversation with Banerjee, Shah took stock of the situation in West Bengal, where the cyclone is expected to make landfall on Wednesday.
The home minister assured the chief minister of all possible help to deal with the situation arising due to the cyclone 'Amphan', a home ministry official said.
In his phone call with Patnaik, Shah reviewed the situation in Odisha and assured him of the necessary assistance from the central government to tide over the situation.
Cyclone 'Amphan' developed into a super cyclone over the Bay of Bengal on Monday and has the potential to cause extensive damage in the coastal districts of West Bengal when it makes landfall, the government had said.
This is the second super cyclone over the Bay of Bengal in two decades.
The cyclone is expected to make landfall on the West Bengal coast in the afternoon of May 20 between Digha in West Bengal and Hatia island in Bangladesh as an extremely severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds ranging up to 195kmph.
It has the potential to cause extensive damage in the coastal districts of West Bengal, the government said.
'Amphan' will cause heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of West Bengal, it added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with the home minister, on Monday had reviewed the situation arising from the cyclone and assured of all possible assistance from the central government.
BSF moves ships, patrol boats to safe anchor
The Border Security Force (BSF) has moved its three floating border posts or ships and 45 other patrol boats deployed to guard the India-Bangladesh riverine front in the Sunderbans and Icchamati river in West Bengal to safe anchorage in view of the cyclonic storm 'Amphan', officials said.
These vessels are used by the south Bengal frontier of the border force to guard about 350 kms of the riverine border in this area.
The BSF protects over 930kms of the International Border under this frontier that includes 110 kms of the Sunderbans, Estuary Point, Icchamati river and Panitar, where the land and riverine borders of the two countries meet.
The three floating border posts or ships, 45 other patrol and mechanised boats have been moved for safe anchorage in view of cyclone 'Amphan'.
BSF deputy inspector-general (south Bengal frontier) S.S. Guleria told PTI that the troops who man these vessels will move to land border posts till the activity of the cyclone.
A team of experts like electricians, masons and engineering personnel have also been sent to the riverine border fronts so that they can help in reviving the damaged infrastructure as soon as possible, Guleria, who has earlier served in the NDRF, said.
