The district administrations have been asked to be alert and evacuate residents to safer places if needed, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday afternoon.
The chief minister added that there was a forecast for heavy rain in 48 hours, and the disaster management department’s control room would work 24/7.
Top officials from the East Midnapore and South 24-Parganas administrations said they had asked those living along the coast not to go into the sea.
In East Midnapore’s Digha and Mandarmani, police and district officials asked people to stay away from the beaches.
“The (state) chief secretary has held meetings with the district administrations. Everyone has been told to evacuate people from low-lying areas, if required. The control room of the disaster management department is open 24/7. Fishermen have been warned not to go into the sea. Those who take dips in the sea have been warned against doing so,” Mamata told a news conference at the state secretariat, Nabanna, on Thursday.
“The district magistrates, superintendents of police and block development officers have been alerted so people can be shifted to relief centres if needed. Relief material has been kept ready,” the chief minister said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had forecast heavy to very heavy rain in “one or two places” of the two coastal districts of North and South 24-Parganas on Thursday and heavy rain on Friday. Squally winds with gusts going up to 60km an hour were also forecast.
In the other coastal district of Bengal, East Midnapore, the IMD forecast heavy rain on Thursday and light to moderate rain on Friday.
In Met parlance, rainfall between 64.5mm and 115.5mm is classified as heavy rain, and rainfall between 115.6mm and 204.4mm is very heavy rain.
Up to 15.5mm of rain is called light rain, and rainfall between 15.6mm to 64.4mm is called moderate rain.
“We closed the Digha and Mandarmani beaches since Thursday afternoon. We have also kept seven inflatable boats in the Contai subdivision area for rescue, and 63 nulias (lifesavers) are ready,” said an official of the East Midnapore district administration.
Handheld floodlights, ambulances and rescue vans were on standby.
At South 24-Parganas, multi-purpose cyclone shelters have been readied.
An official said there was no heavy rain in the coastal areas of the district till evening.
“Some residents of Patharpratima block left their homes because of a special high tide that led to the rise in water level. Most of them had returned by evening,” the official said.
The administration was keeping a watch on Sagar, Mousuni, Patharpratima, Ghoramara and similar islands.
In North 24-Parganas, the administration had alerted district, sub-division and block-level officials from the civil defence, animal resources and agriculture departments.
“If there is any instance of breach of embankment and flooding of low-lying areas, they will respond fast,” said an official of the district administration. Sandeshkhali and Hingalganj are some of the coastal areas of the district.
In Calcutta, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has deployed additional personnel at its drainage pumping stations and to operate the lock gates.