WB govt to provide financial assistance to Aila victims

KOLKATA: In what could provide some succour to those devastated by Cyclone Aila, the West Bengal government has decided to offer monetary assistance to over 3 lakh villagers for rebuilding their homes.

The size of the housing package isn’t known immediately. It could be anything between Rs 75 crore and Rs 350 crore, a senior official familiar with the matter told mediapersons. The state government will offer Rs 2,500 to Rs 25,000 per family depending on the extent of damage of their dwelling units. The state machinery is busy assessing the damage and puttting together a list of potential beneficiaries. The state’s finance department has firmed up the package a couple of days ago and activated banks to disburse the sum to villagers in North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas, the two worst-hit districts by Aila.

Accordingly, the state through banks will shell out Rs 25,000 per household for building a pukka home and Rs 10,000 for erecting a kuccha house. Likewise, it would offer Rs 5,000 and Rs 2,500 per family for repairing partially damaged pukka and kuccha dwelling units respectively.To avail of the benefit, villagers will need to have a savings account with any nearby bank. Incidentally, according to primary estimates, merely 20-25% of the targeted beneficiaries have bank accounts, raising questions about the success of the scheme. Given the magnitude of financial exclusion, state finance minister Asim Dasgupta has appealed to the likes of Allahabad Bank, State Bank of India, Uco Bank, United Bank of India (UBI) and West Bengal State Cooperative Bank to open zero-balance and no-frill accounts in a war footing. When contacted, UBI general manager Swapan Biswas said: The finance minister has called on select bankers just recently and made an appeal to open new bank accounts in seven days. The monetary assistance to end-users will flow via banks, It would be an daunting task for bankers by any stretch of imagination and may take at least a month.

Financial Assistance Plan per household:

For complete destruction of pukka houses: Rs 25,000

For partial damage of pukka houses: Rs 5,000

For complete destruction of kachcha houses: Rs 10,000

For partial damage of kachcha houses: Rs 2,500

Buddhadeb seeks funds for 'Sunderbans Chinese wall'

Kolkata:June 14, 2009 -Bengal wants Rs 15,000 crore to protect the area from cyclones and high tides. West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will seek Rs 15,000 crore from the Centre for building a “mini Chinese Wall” along the coastal area of the Sundarbans to protect the area’s 4.1 million people from further cyclones and high tides. The area was recently hit by cyclone Aila.

The chief minister is scheduled to meet the prime minister on June 19 in New Delhi where he will seek the grant. The plan is to build a concrete wall and embankments. Two days ago, state Finance Minister Ashim Dasgupta had met Home Minister P Chidambaram and sought Rs 10,000 crore for the project. After making several visits to the Sundarbans, the chief minister decided to raise the demand to Rs 15,000 crore.

Kanti Ganguly, the minister in charge of the Sundarbans, said this was a preliminary estimate and might rise. There are over 3,500-km embankments on various rivers in the Sundarbans, of which at least 400 km were destroyed by Aila and the high tide that followed. Ganguly told Business Standard that the entire stretch of 3,500-km riversides would not need concrete embankments.

Experts who examined the area after the devastation had said that there should be three lines of defence. The first line, exposed to the sea, should consist of mangrove rings, they said. It was noticed that the islands where mangroves were in abundance did not face the kind of devastation that visited other areas. The second line should be embankments and the third should be trees natural to the climate and soil of the Sundarbans, they said.

Prof Anandadev Mukhopadhyaya, an eminent oceanologist who has been conducting extensive studies in the Digha-Shankarpur coastline area that falls within the cyclone-hit zone, says construction of the concrete wall or embankments will go a long way in protecting the coastal area. He feels the mangrove belt is a must to protect the islands.The area is suffering from an acute shortage of drinking water, food and houses. According to Ganguly, more than 150,000 houses have been partly or fully destroyed by the cyclone. He said that after the cyclone, sea water entered the villages and seeped in a large number of mud houses. These houses, he said, might not last the coming monsoon.

Buddhadeb rides autorickshaw to cyclone-hit Sunderbans

Hingalganj: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Saturday travelled in an autorickshaw to meet Cyclone Aila victims in remote areas of this North 24 Parganas block.

Bhattacharjee, who had been jeered by the disgruntled cyclone survivors owing allegiance to the Trinamool Congress during his June 2 visit to the block, was well received by people who showered petals and raised slogans praising the state’s Left Front government.

Hingalganj, 69 km southeast of Kolkata and part of the Mangrove delta of Sundarbans, has been badly mauled in the May 25 cyclone which tore through 13 of the state’s 19 districts levelling houses, uprooting trees, snapping power cables and leaving a trail of destruction.

So far, 138 deaths have been reported in the natural calamity across various districts.

The chief minister, on his fourth visit to Aila-affected areas in nearly three weeks, crossed the Ichhamati river by a launch from Dhamakhali to reach Sardarpara and then travelled four kilometres in an autorickshaw up to Jogeshganj to talk to victims and listen to their problems.

While on the launch, he also made unscheduled stops at places like Gopaler Ghat to speak to cyclone-hit people and gave them a patient hearing.

“People won’t have to pay the college fees for one year. Admission dates will be extended for them. And from my relief fund I will give you money for buying books and exercise books,” Bhattacharjee told the cyclone survivors who gathered at a playground in Jogeshganj.

“But I can’t build pucca houses for all of you with the state government’s resources. The centre should give us money. It must allocate funds for putting up concrete embankments in the entire Sundarbans,” he said.

The chief minister also told people that work on rebuilding 60 percent of the mud embankments washed away in the area due to the cyclone was over. “The rest will also be over soon.

“I am going to meet prime minister Manmohan Singh on June 19. I think I can persuade Delhi to help,” he said.

He also spoke to administrative officials and asked them about relief operations.Hingalganj legislator Gopal Gayen, who was smeared with mud by some people hours before the chief minister’s visit June 2, seemed a relieved man after the visit.“This only proves Sundarbans is still the same. The people have not changed,” he said.

Fisheries lost nearly Rs 14,000 crore

Kolkata, Wednesday, Jun 10, 2009: For the state fisheries department, Cyclone Aila dealt a blow of Rs 13,959 crore in five districts — South 24-Parganas, North 24-Parganas, Howrah, East Midnapore and West Midnapore.

The report of the damages assessed by the department was presented to the Central team, which is currently visiting the area. “From nets to breeding grounds, pisciculture has been severely affected. Houses built by us for the fishermen have been destroyed,” said Rajpal S Kahlon, Principal Secretary, state Fisheries Department.

The district-wise break-up of the damages assessed shows that South 24-Parganas bore the maximum brunt. With 29 blocks of the district hit by the cyclone, officials have pegged the loss at Rs 6309.6 lakh. In North 24-Parganas, 22 blocks were affected and the loss incurred was Rs 3969.65 lakh.

“We have lost 4926.8 metric tonnes of fish, 2120.12 metric tonnes of prawns and 30.00 metric tonnes of dry fish. Around 46,805 fishermen’s houses have been damaged. Even government fish farms like Kalyani fish farm, BENFISH, West Bengal Fisheries Corporation Ltd and State Fisheries Development Corporation Ltd have suffered losses,” said Kahlon.

The estimated loss of ornamental fish has been put at Rs 22.965 lakh in South 24-Parganas. It has pegged at Rs 65,000 and Rs 1.35 lakh in North 24-Parganas and East Midnapore. According to officials, fish were found dead in cisterns, hapas (breeding areas) and tanks.

LF demands cyclone disaster be declared national calamity

Kolkata: The ruling Left Front in West Bengal on Tuesday demanded that the devastation caused by cyclone Aila be declared a national calamity. "The Left Front discussed the issue of cyclone Aila at its meeting and demanded that the disaster be declared a national calamity," Front chairman Biman Basu told reporters here. He said that an appeal should be made to MPs and MLAs to give assistance from their area development funds for cyclone victims.

Now, plastic floods the Sundarbans

KOLKATA, 10th June: Post-cyclone Aila, the ecologically fragile Sundarbans in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal is facing another problem — flooding of plastic materials.

Hundreds of non-governmental organisations and private donors, who throng the area to provide relief, are dumping plastic covers, cups and wrappers in water, thus choking rivers. A world heritage site, the Sundarbans has long been declared a plastic-free zone. Yet, tonnes of plastic waste strewn around by volunteers are floating in rivers.

In the absence of government guidelines and as relief distribution has not been coordinated, enthusiastic NGOs have poured into the affected sites with food packets, drinking water sachets and even clothes wrapped in plastic covers.

“We cannot stop the NGOs from carrying on the relief work in this hour of crisis and it is also not possible to keep a check on everyone. All that we can do now is to sensitise them to the plastic menace through the media and ask them not to litter the region with plastic waste,” N.C. Bahuguna, Director of the Sundarbans Forest Reserve, told The Hindu on Monday.

Mr. Bahuguna said he was trying to take up the matter with higher authorities. As Forest department staff themselves were pressed into service to provide relief, it would take some time before any concrete result appeared, he pointed out. “Once water recedes and the situation comes under control somewhat, we will launch a massive clean-up drive.”

This would, however, take months to be completed, said a forest official. According to him, though cleaning up the peripheral areas would be easier, it was impossible to retrieve plastic waste washed into the core area by high tides and this could pose an ecological hazard for both flora and fauna on the islands of the estuarine delta.

Aila relief: appeal for funds by MPs

NEW DELHI: Members of Parliament across the political spectrum on Tuesday appealed to the Rajya Sabha Chairman and Lok Sabha Speaker to request members of both the Houses to donate Rs. 10 lakh each from the MPLADS Funds for relief and rehabilitation of people affected by Cyclone Aila in West Bengal.

In an appeal, the MPs said that on earlier occasions such as the Gujarat earthquake, Bihar floods and the tsunami, members were requested to donate funds from the MPLADS and the rule was relaxed as special cases.

Central team to submit 'Aila' impact report to Home Minister

New Delhi June 09, 2009: The Central team, which visited West Bengal to assess the damage caused by cyclone 'Aila', will submit its detailed report to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram.

The 11-member central team, visited West Bengal to take stock of the post Cyclone Aila situation. The team during its three-day visit surveyed a large part of cyclone-ravaged South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas districts in southern West Bengal and Darjeeling hills. The central observers Tuesday took an aerial view of the marooned Sundarban Islands.

Later they held a high-level meeting with state Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta, Chief Secretary Ashok Mohon Chakraborty and other senior government officials at the state secretariat Writes’ Buildings. On the basis of the team’s report, the central government will announce its compensation package for the cyclone-affected people of the state.

Meanwhile, the state’s Left Front government has demanded Cyclone Aila be declared as a national disaster and sought the central government’s help to carry out the rescue operation in the delta region. Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has asked for Rs.1,000 crore of funds to provide relief to thousands of cyclone victims in the state. Dasgupta rushed to Delhi and submitted a memorandum to the central government on the state’s demands.

The team, which returned to the capital today after a three-day tour, visited all cyclone-affected districts, including South and North 24 Parganas and the Darjeeling hills and took stock of the damage caused to the people and their livelihoods.

"They are now compiling all the inputs and submit the report to the Home Minister within a day or two," a Home Ministry official said. On the basis of the report, the Centre will announce its compensation package for the cyclone-affected people of the state.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today assured the Rajya Sabha that "the Centre will do everything in its power to provide purposeful relief to West Bengal". Observing that a Central team has already visited the state, Singh said, "I have been in touch with the Chief Minister and there will be no laxity in meeting the need of relief and rehabilitation".

Medical aid to West Bengal cyclone victims

South 24 Pargana (WB), June 9: Army has set up medical camps for the displaced victims of cyclone Aila, residing in the relief camps in South 24 Pargana district near the Sunderban Islands in West Bengal.

Thousands are suffering from gastroenteritis triggered by the consumption of infected water. Medical units of Indian army are treating the people in several medical camps in the district. The Army Medical Unit of Bengal Area and Eastern Command have set up several medical camps in the district. There is no official confirmation of deaths in the region but villagers claim that some have lost their lives due to diarrhoea and even cattle are affected by it.

‘Generally in the flood areas, diarrhoea crops up and here also it is the same. But it is under control here as we are providing medical aid to the patient’s daily. There is no official report of death due to diarrhoea. But we have heard that there are two human deaths and cattle have also died because of it. This is because of the contaminated water in the village,’ said Cornel M.K. Samanta, medical officer, Indian Army.

The medical officers are treating and providing medicines to the affected people since June 4. The 12 medical teams are visiting the affected places of the district. Several areas in the Sunderban Islands are still inundated with floodwater. Many people have been unable to find refuge in relief camps.

South 24 Pargana district in particular continues to reel under the devastating affects of the cyclone. Thousands of people in West Bengal and Bangladesh remained marooned without food or water after cyclone Aila hit them. It originated over the Bay of Bengal on May 25.The cyclone has killed at least 275 people, but officials say the toll could mount due to epidemics.

Trinamool boycotts all-party meet to discuss distribution of relief

Buddha admits problems with relief in far-flung areas. Another all-party meeting to be held on June 14

KOLKATA,7th June: The Trinamool Congress, the principal Opposition party in the State, on Sunday boycotted an all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to discuss ways to ensure a non-partisan approach to distribution of relief to the lakhs of people affected by cyclone Aila.

“We can’t sit on things”

Asked by journalists to comment on the Trinamool’s boycott, Mr. Bhattacharjee said: “If they do not come, it is my misfortune. Had they come, it would have been better but if they do not we cannot sit [on things] but need to go ahead [with what is to be done],” he added while admitting that problems related to reaching relief to victims in far-flung areas continued to exist.

The Chief Minister reiterated the need to set aside narrow political interests and work towards providing relief to the victims “hand-in-hand.”

Meet successful

“The meeting was held very successfully; the Congress that is running the government at the Centre was present,” Mr. Bhattacharjee said. Another all-party meeting would be held on June 14, to which the Trinamool was also invited, to reassess the progress in relief work, he added.

“We are not going to oblige a government that has been callous in tackling the situation … and is only interested in financial assistance rather than providing the necessary relief to the victims,” senior Trinamool leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Partha Chatterjee told mediapersons.

“Delay tactics”

Those to be invited to the meeting were parties that have a representation in the Assembly. The importance of the presence in the talks of representatives of the Trinamool cannot be overstated. The party is in control of the local rural bodies in several of the affected areas — the last in the chain of agencies engaged in the relief distribution process. The party leadership claimed to be administering to the needs of the cyclone victims independent of the government that, it alleged, was engaging “in delay-tactics [in relief distribution] to get funds [from the Centre].”

“Under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee, we have already organised providing relief to the victims in our own capacity,” Mr. Chatterjee said.

Fresh inundation

Certain areas in the Sunderbans spanning parts of the two districts of North and South 24 Parganas faced fresh inundation in the wake of the spring tide that caused water to gush in through the damaged embankments that are yet to be restored. A large number of people have been evacuated to safer places since Saturday.

Damage assessment

Two groups of Central officials visited the two districts while one was in the landslip-scarred Darjeeling hills to assess the extent of damage caused by the calamity. They inquired about relief supplies and will be submitting a report to the Centre after a final meeting with the State government here on June 9.

Power system collapses after Aila in Sunderbans

Kolkata June 08, 2009: Cyclone Aila which hit West Bengal on May 25, has devastated the entire solar panel set-up in the Sunderbans island, leaving the island completely bereft of electricity.

It is to be noted that the islands of Sunderbans at present do not have any access to grid connectivity and solely depend on solar, biomass and renewable energy sources. Solar power has emerged as the primary source of electrification in most of the inhabited islands in Sunderbans.

“The state government is reviewing the extent of damage.Preliminary estimates suggest that 40 per cent of the household solar power installations have been damaged. As per WBGEDCL's estimate the quantum of damage is likely to be around Rs 50 crore.

Rehabilitation work has started, but it will take some time to repair the damage caused," said S P Gon Chaudhuri, managing director, West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation Limited (WBGEDCL) on the sidelines of an interactive seminar organised by Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

WBGEDCL, the state nodal agency for promoting use of renewable energy sources, in association with the centre and state rural development department had set up one lakh household solar power installations or solar-powered home lighting systems in Sunderbans area. The largest cluster of solar power system in the country is in the Sunderban islands of which 40 per cent have been damaged now, Gon Chaudhuri informed. The cyclone has washed away or destroyed close to 40,000 solar panels. This apart the storm had damaged 21 clusters of solar and biomass power hubs which supplied electricity to around 10,000 households there.

“The power clusters have been repaired, but the individual house solar panels or the home lighting system is yet to be complete. It will need some more time,”said Gon Chaudhuri.

A large number of villages and islands — which are located on the fringes of the core forest area will remain in darkness unless steps are taken on a war-footing to restore electricity there.

“We will suggest to the government to incorporate new low-cost technologies by which these houses in the coastal areas can both get power through renewable sources and at the same time be rigid and resilient to climate changes and disasters. There are lots of technologies. We will help with the technical input,” said Gon Chaudhuri.

Left Front lawmakers collect donations for victims of cyclone Aila

Kolkata, June 8, 2009: Lawmakers of the Left Front in West Bengal took to the streets on Monday to collect funds from the willing public to help the victims of cyclone Aila in the state. “The government from the very first day has come forward with all their resources for the flood victims. They have appealed to the people of Bengal and the Government to lend their support so that post-flood rehabilitation programme can take place in the area,” said Mohammed Masiha, Chief Whip, Left Front, West Bengal Legislative Assembly.

The deadly cyclone Aila that hit the state recently caused immense damage to life and property. Reportedly, more then 5.1 million people have been affected by the cyclone.Although relief work is on in full swing, several parts of Sundarbans and also South and North 24 Parganas are still under water.The cyclone also affected several areas in Malda and Jalpaiguri regions in Bengal. The opposition TMC had boycotted an all-party meeting on Aila that was convened by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Sunday evening.

However, unfazed by the stand taken by the TMC, the Left leaders, still smarting from the defeat in the recent Lok Sabha polls, are continuing with their efforts to show their interest and concern for the plight of the commoners. This fund collection ‘Padyatra’ could be one such effort.

All-party meet on ‘AILA’ successful

Kolkata, Monday, Jun 07, 2009: Even though the Trinamool Congress did not attend the all-party meeting called by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to discuss how to tackle the situation in the cyclone-affected areas, Bhattacharjee called it a successful meet and has convened another on June 14.

“Had they joined, it would have been much better. But what do I do if they do not come. We cannot sit idle. The Congress, which is running the Central government, was there. I call it a successful meeting,” Bhattacharjee said after the meeting on Sunday.

The all-party meeting on June 14 has been called at the behest of Congress, which said since they were informed about today’s meet only two days ago, they could not prepare a detailed note. In the meeting, a resolution was passed exhorting the state and the Central governments to work together on short-term and long-term plans to mitigate the suffering of people.

The Congress was represented by party working president Subrata Mukherjee and Congress Legislature Party Leader Manas Bhunia was also present. Those who boycotted the meeting included the Trinamool, the SUCI, the Jharkhand Party and the GNLF.

The chief minister admitted lacunae in distribution of relief material. “The Congress said that relief material is not distributed evenly and has not reached remote places. We agree with them and will ask officials to act accordingly. The Congress also said there should be no politics in distribution of relief material and I will ensure that,” Bhattacharjee said.

Asked whether he was ready to rope in ministers from the state Cabinet for the relief operations, the CM said: “We will take the help of all ministers, if required.” The Congress said it was not happy with the way and pace relief was being distributed. “We have asked the chief minister to undertake the relief work with more transparency and efficiency,” Bhuina said.

He also said he would take up the issue of more relief for victims with the Centre and the Congress leadership.

Environmentalists worry about wildlife in Sunderbans

KOLKATA, 5th JUNE: Environmentalists are worried of the devastation caused by Cyclone Aila to wildlife, particularly tigers, in the Sunderbans, which stretches over a vast area in South and North 24 Parganas districts.

Forest officials, though, have not confirmed how many animals persished due to it."Some animals might have lost their lives in the cyclone. But we don't know how many were killed," West Bengal Forest minister Ananta Roy said. "We have ordered a survey to be completed by June 15 to determine the number of animals which may have been killed," he said.

Top forest department officials, however, claimed that the storm did not cause much damage to the forest."Wildlife, including tigers, were not much affected as the mangrove withstood the ferocity of the cyclone, though carcasses of two deers were recovered," Field Director of Sunderbans Tiger Reserve (STR), Subrata Mukherjee told PTI.

He said that forest department teams which visited the forest after the cyclone did not come across much damage. Director of Sunderbans Biosphere reserve N C Bahuguna confirmed the death of five deers, but said other wildlife was safe.

Asked whether there was a possibility of some wildlife being washed away following inundation after the cyclone, Mr. Bahuguna said, "The forest is intact. Every year most areas in Sunderbans experience inundation and wild animals are accustomed to such conditions." A tiger, he said, had strayed at Jamespur immediately after the storm, but forest department personnel had sent it back to the forest. Mr. Bahuguna said the wild animals must have taken shelter on higher reaches in the forest during the storm.

NGOs and environmentalists working in the Sunderbans, however, apprehended otherwise. Raja Chatterjee, secretary of The Junglees questioned how forest officials could claim that wildlife was not hit by the cyclone. "Tigers in the Sunderbans are expert in climbing trees and might have taken refuge there or might have reached higher areas. Fishing cats and jungle cats can even survive on trees.

But what about deer and wild boars? In all likelihood they were affected," Mr. Chatterjee said.He said it was not possible to assess the damage in the Sunderbans which covered a huge area in such a short time and suggested a helicopter survey for a proper picture.

Ajanta Dey, project coordinator, Nature, Environment and Wildlife Society who visited Sunderbans after the cyclone, said that she found carcasses of livestock, but not of wild animals."But it is difficult to assess from outside whether wildlife was hit by the storm or not," she said.

Mangrove tigers

Cyclone Aila’s trail of destruction in India and Bangladesh has brought world attention to the plight of tens of thousands of people who spend their entire lives in the path of tropical storms. There is concern also for the Sundarbans, a vast landscape that weathers the same cyclones. As one of the world’s largest mangrove ecosystems, this region is unique in hosting endangered tigers.

Concern for these magnificent animals mounted when Aila struck, but scientists have been pointing out that they have probably fared better than people. After all, tigers enjoy the natural advantage of being excellent swimmers. It would take a detailed survey to assess if there have been serious losses but the only unusual post-cyclone event recorded so far has been that of a tiger rescued from a human dwelling.

The Sundarbans mangroves form part of global natural heritage. The composite 10,000 sq km spread of islands and tidal waterways are particularly rich in biodiversity, ranging from scores of birds to monitor lizards, river dolphins, spotted deer, macaques, and tigers. In a status report presented in 2008, India’s National Tiger Conservation Authority did not venture an estimate of the tiger population in the Sundarbans because of ongoing sampling work, but reported the presence of tigers in 1,586 sq km of the landscape. Bangladesh has declared about 1,000 sq km of the contiguous area on its side as wildlife sanctuaries. Reliable population sampling for the Sundarbans tigers is crucial as good baseline data are required for conservation effort.

Preserved ecosystems provide important benefits to communities. In the case of the Sundarbans, that is evident from the significant amount of honey and wax collected by villagers each year. The mangroves are also a rich breeding ground for fish and other sea food. What is clear is that the continued sustenance of the small communities in the more hospitable parts of the Sundarbans will depend on how quickly the major threats are mitigated.

The key factors that could damage this ecosystem are sea level changes and intensifying weather events linked to climate change, commercial-scale exploitation of forest produce, and physical elimination of mangroves in the name of land acquisition. If what some research scientists believe is true, loss of the mangroves would also mean removal of protection for inland human habitations from cyclones. The available evidence underscores the need for India and Bangladesh to create a strong bilateral framework to preserve the Sundarbans — a listed UNESCO world heritage site and a lifeline for coastal communities.

Sunderbans braces for double blow

KOLKATA, 5 Jun 2009: With just 72 hours to go for the dreaded high tide to hit the Aila-ravaged Sunderbans, the government went on a high alert on Thursday, evacuating people from six islands, stationing three ministers to oversee preparations and initiating steps to counter a possible inundation. Although no cyclone or squall warning has been issued by the meteorological department, satellite images showed a wide low-pressure area that could lead to rough weather.

The weather system formed over Gangetic West Bengal two days back and will lead to widespread rain over the next 48 hours. This will coincide with the bara kotal (full moon high tide) that is set to sweep into the islands on the night of June 6-7, raising the risk of further devastation. The Met department has sent a note to the government alerting them about the impending deluge. "There could be heavy rainfall over the next two days. But as of now, there is no indication of a storm or a squall," said G C Debnath, director of Alipore Meteorological Office.

After being caught off-guard by Aila, Writers' Buildings has ordered a huge bandobast for the bhara kotal. People are being evacuated from six islands Kumirmari, parts of Chhotomollakhali, Amtoli, Lahiripur, Satjelia and Kachukhali in Gosaba and parts of Patharpratima. The army and navy have already reached some of the islands, irrigation minister Subhas Naskar said. A hovercraft is being roped in and 75 mechanized boats are kept ready from the civil defence, National Calamity Reserve Force and the army, finance minister Asim Dasgupta said.

The relief centres have been alerted and preparations are being made in advance, with stocks of water and dry food. The message from chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has travelled quickly to the block level in Sunderbans. Reports of vulnerable points along the islands were sought. BDOs started compiling lists of probable rescue centres, stocks of relief material and items they need.

On direct orders from Bhattacharjee, three ministers Srikumar Mukherjee (civil defence), Kanti Ganguly (Sunderbans affairs) and Subhas Naskar (irrigation) have been stationed at Gosaba, Patharpratima and Hingalganj to take charge of affairs when the tide hits. Mukherjee said civil defence personnel have been dispatched and would reach their areas of deployment by Friday.

"They will be on 90 boats and carry 500 life jackets. All the men will be in uniform so that they can be easily identified," he said. According to the government, 940 points on the embankments have been breached but only 381 of them been repaired. "We are trying our best to prevent casualties this time. We don't want to add to the 137 death toll," said Mukherjee.

The irrigation minister, however, claimed 65% of the embankments have been repaired. "Unfortunately, the embankments will have to brave 10 more tides before proper repair work can be started," Naskar said, adding that they want to take the help of the central government's Ganga Flood Control Commission. Almost all mud houses in the Sunderbans need to be replaced and the Rs 27,000 allotted per house from the Indira Awas Yojna isn't enough, Naskar said. "At least 2.5 lakh pucca houses are needed."

Till Wednesday, a squall had seemed a distinct possibility, leading people to fear a repeat of the May 25 devastation. The latest weather reports dispel that fear but even heavy rains could be damaging. With embankments in the Sunderbans still weakened, another inundation cannot be ruled out, fear officials. An 11-member team from the Centre, headed by joint secretary (home) Ashok Lavasa, will visit the affected areas between June 7 and 9 to gauge the situation and assess the government's demand for Rs 1000-crore aid.

A team is also expected to visit Bangladesh to learn about preparation of permanent embankments. The local authorities deny there is an epidemic. They peg the number of affected at just 5%. "Around 6,000 patients have been diagnosed with diarrhoea in Gosaba. We have enough medicines and the situation is fast improving," claimed Gosaba medical officer Girin Mondol.

TO REPAIR EMBANKMENTS, GOVT. PLACED ORDER FOR 15 LAKH GUNNY BAGS

Kolkata,5th June : In the wake of Cyclone Aila, the state government has roped in Reliance Industries to repair the breaches of Sunderbans embankments. It has placed an order of 15 lakh gunny bags from the Mukesh Ambani-owned company to repair 800 points along the 470-km-long embankment that has caused large-scale inundation of the area.

At Rs 7.22 per bag, the cost for the consignment will stand at about Rs 1 crore. The government will buy more gunny bags as it apprehends more breaches during the coming 10 kotals (high tides) till the year-end. “We have found Reliance gunny bags more durable and thus have placed the order,” Subhas Nashkar, State Minister for Irrigation, said on Thursday.

He added that in view of the bhora kotal (high tides) due on June 7 and 8 and the fresh depression looming over the Bay of Bengal, the state government has ordered the evacuation of around 25,000 people from six islands in both North 24-Parganas and South 24-Parganas. “Already, a large number of people have left on their own. We have asked remaining to do the same,” Nashkar said.

Personnel from the Army Engineering Corps and the Navy, who have been roped in for the project, have already begun work. Nashkar said the government plans to build brick-built houses for the people of Sunderbans. “We can use the money for Indira Awas Yojna, but I don’t think it will be adequate. So, we have to look for other avenues for money,” the minister said.

Low pressure areaEleven days after Aila hit the state, weather officials claimed a low pressure area is likely to form over the north of Bay of Bengal in the next 48 hours. However, no warning has been issued by the Regional Meteorological Office in this connection.

“Though we have not sent out any warning, we are passing the information to the government. It is too early to predict anything. The place where the depression is being formed is a little far from the mainland. We have to monitor how it is developing,” said G C Debnath, Director of the Regional Meteorological Centre, Alipore.

According to the officials, there is a possibility of rainfall over the Gangetic West Bengal till Friday noon. With the high tide on full moon set to hit the Sunderbans on June 7, large-scale inundation is being feared. If the low pressure develops further, there is a possibility of rainfall and storm. Thus, the state administration is trying to complete work on the embankments in Sunderbans as soon as possible.

Satellite images show the rotation and moisture content of the cloud clusters steadily increasing, resulting in probable formation of thunderclouds. However, with a few days to go, the clouds might weaken too. Though officials claimed a cyclone is unlikely, the fact remains that even a storm could be damaging during the high tide with the Sunderbans remaining vulnerable.

11-member Central team to assess cyclone Aila damage

KOLKATA,5th June: An eleven-member team of Central officials will be arriving in the city on Saturday to assess the damage caused by the storms brought about by cyclone Aila on May 25.

They visit the areas in West Bengal’s South and North 24 Parganas districts and the Darjeeling hills in groups. They will later hold meetings with the local administration and the State government, Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta said here on Thursday.

While the Army has been called in for the second time since the storms to assist in relief operations in the areas of South 24 Parganas worst hit by the disaster, the government has sought technical advice from it for restoration of the damaged embankments in the region.

Three boats of the Navy have been pressed into service to facilitate the sending of relief supplies to victims marooned in some of the affected areas, a Defence spokesperson said. Ten teams belonging to the Army had gone to the region to distribute food packets and water pouches. The death toll has mounted to 137.

WEST BENGAL TOURISM RELEASES BENGAL TRAVEL GUIDE

WBTDC to upgrade lodges in West Bengal

KOLKATA, 4th June: The first official travel guide on Kolkata was released yesterday by Manab Mukherjee, Tourism Minister, Kolkata. The book provides exhaustive information on most tourist destinations with their history, from Sunderbans to Bishnupur, Murshidabad, Dooars and Darjeeling. Mukherjee also informed that the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC) is now in the process of upgrading tourist lodges and renovating its water vessels. Nine lodges are being upgraded to three-star standards. Work is complete at Digha, Shantiniketan and Bishnupur.

According to a report in Times of India, WBTDC has also decided to introduce integrated package tours in the next three months.“So far, we did not have a travel guide. Let us hope this turns out to be the first step towards restructuring our tourism facilities and infrastructure,” said Mukherjee. Apart from listing destinations, the travel guide also mentions the routes and transportation available. “I had to travel extensively for the book. The facilities have improved vastly and the state can definitely be marketed as a prime tourist location,” said Swati Mitra, who compiled the guide. WBTDC has also planned tourism plazas that will be developed by the government. “Despite the recession, the flow of tourists to Bengal has remained largely unaffected,” added Mukherjee. The tourism department will appoint consultants to promote West Bengal.

Tourism not affected by ‘Aila’

“Tourism in West Bengal has not really been affected by Aila,” State Tourism Minister Manabendra Mukherjee said here on Wednesday.

He said this at an event organised to update the press on the latest initiatives of the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC). Mr. Mukherjee said there weren’t many tourists in the area since this is not the season in Sunderbans, the region worst affected by the cyclone.

Sajnekhali, the only government tourist lodge in the area, did sustain some damage but plans were on to renovate the lodge in any case, he said.

“In Darjeeling, there were many tourists, but the major link roads had been cleared of the debris within 48 hours of the landslides so tourists didn’t suffer much.”

Asked whether enough was being done to promote Sunderbans, he said the region was ecologically fragile and must be approached with precaution.

Buddhadeb urges Sundarbans locals to re-build damaged embankments

Kolkata, June 1: Paying a visit to the cyclone-ravaged areas of coastal West Bengal, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Tuesday proposed that residents of various islands in the Sundarbans help rebuild the embankments damaged by Cyclone Aila. They would be paid for the work they do, he said.

“More than 400 km of embankments have been totally damaged in the devastating cyclone. We ask the people to join hands immediately and rebuild the embankments before the coming high tide next week,” Bhattacharjee said at a press conference at Hingalganj in North 24 Parganas district.

“If we can involve a large number of people in the process, we’ll be able to stop at least 70-80 percent of water during the high tide. We’ve decided that the entire work for rebuilding the embankment would be carried out by the villagers. The government will pay them for their efforts. The engineers will just give instructions,” he said.

Bhattacharjee Tuesday visited several cyclone-ravaged areas of North 24 Parganas district. Besides Hingalganj, he went to Hasanabad, Sandeshkhali and Basirhat area that were hit by Cyclone Aila last week.

“We’re not getting enough soil to use for rebuilding the embankments. This is the major problem we’re facing now. But the government is trying to procure adequate soil,” the chief minister said, adding that the relief materials are reaching remote parts of the Sundarbans. He also said the state government is in talks with the centre on how to provide succour to the impoverished.

“We’ve sent our memorandum to the centre listing our demands for carrying out the relief operation in the Sundarbans. I also had talks with the union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee this morning (Tuesday) and will also give him a detailed feedback later.

“Our Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta will also hold meetings with Mukherjee and the union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on the matter,” he said.

West Bengal FM to discuss cyclone aid with Pranab, Chidambaram

KOLKATA,1st June: West Bengal Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta is leaving for Delhi on Monday night to discuss the State government's demand for at least Rs 1,000 crore as cyclone relief with Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Home Minister P Chidambaram.

A memorandum has already been prepared on the basis of sectorwise inputs on destruction caused by cyclone Aila across several districts.

Chief Secretary Asok Mohan Chakraborty, who has been asked to submit the memorandum to the Centre, has already rushed to Delhi.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will visit the cyclone-hit areas of Hingalganj and Sandeshkhali in North 24-Parganas district on Tuesday, State's Irrigation Minister Subhas Naskar told reporters after reviewing the situation with Mr. Bhattacharjee. He visited Gosaba and Basanti in South 24-Parganas district recently.

State's Disaster Management Minister Mortaza Hossain, who was also in the review meeting with the CM, said the State government had released Rs 67 crore so far. Steps had been taken to ensure relief material reaches the grassroot level immediately.

Giving details, Mr. Hossain said the death toll had climbed to 126. A total of 67 lakh people have been affected and 8.94 lakh houses destroyed.

Over 3.78 lakh people have taken shelter in 765 relief camps, he said.