As Bulbul Spares Odisha, Bangladesh Evacuates 18 Lakh People To Safety

Bangladesh has evacuated about 18 lakh people to safer places as the cyclonic storm Bulbul is expected to make a landfall there tonight, packed with damaging windspeed.

While the system largely spared Odisha, authorities in the neighbouring country ordered large scale evacuation of people from low-lying coastal villages over the last 24 hours, news agency PTI said.

“By now, 3 lakh people have been evacuated and we plan to move 18 lakh people to cyclone shelters by the evening in the vulnerable regions,” Bangladesh Disaster Ministry Secretary Shah Kamal was quoted as saying.

According to a bulletin issued by the Indian Meteorological Department at 5 pm, the ‘very cyclonic storm’ is likely to weaken gradually, move northeastwards and cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Sagar Island (Bengal) and Khepupara (Bangladesh) across Sundarban Delta between now and 11 pm. During this period, the maximum wind speed is expected to remain around 110-120 kmph, gusting up to 135 kmph.

Impact on Odisha:
Though the system will weaken considerably after rainfall, light to moderate rainfall is expected in North coastal districts of Odisha, with isolated to heavy rainfall in Balasore district tonight.

Odisha’s Special Relief Commissioner Pradip Jena has informed about extensive damage to standing crops and properties, as rain and high wind swept through the coastal areas under the influence of Bulbul. Rescue operations are currently underway along the coastal belt and in towns such as Paradip.

Kolkata Airport Shutdown:

The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport has been shut down till tomorrow morning. On the other hand, the South Eastern Railway has said it might suspend train services depending on the impact of the storm.