Stationing more teams to respond to emergencies like a building collapse or the fall of a tree, deploying portable pumps in areas prone to waterlogging, arranging
for more equipment like tree-cutters...

These are some of the measures the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has taken to combat the impacts of Cyclone Remal.

Similar measures were taken by the authorities of Salt Lake and New Town, too.

“Double the usual number of squads will be deployed to clear roads by cutting fallen trees. More building demolition squads, which pull down dangerous portions of buildings, will be stationed across the city,” said a KMC official.

“We have a list of zones prone to waterlogging. We will deploy pumps in some of these places to drain out water.”

In East Midnapore, South 24-Parganas and North 24-Parganas districts, which have long coastlines, the authorities have kept the cyclone and flood shelters ready so people from vulnerable places can be shifted.

The director of the Calcutta airport held a meeting with Met officials, air traffic control (ATC) and communication navigation and surveillance teams. “We will decide on measures to be taken after more detailed forecasts come on Saturday,” said an official.

The district authorities in East Midnapore conducted awareness drives in tourist hubs like Digha, Mandarmoni, Tajpur and Shankarpur, asking visitors to stay away from the sea.

The Indian Coast Guard stations in Haldia and Paradip (Odisha) broadcast regular alerts in multiple languages on very-high frequency radio channels on Friday, asking vessels along the Bengal and Odisha coasts to take precautions for Cyclone Remal.

The coast guard has also alerted merchant vessels anchored off Sagar Island to move to safer anchorage points and the Haldia port authorities have been advised to take appropriate actions.

The state fisheries department has announced a fishing ban which will be in force from Saturday till Monday, an official of the department said.

“The trajectory of the cyclone will be clearer by Saturday evening. We will be able to understand the impact of the cyclone and take more measures accordingly. We have, however, created the infrastructure that might be required to deal with heavy rainfall and very strong winds,” said a senior official of the KMC.

An official of the South 24-Parganas district administration said about 5,000 people may have to be shifted to cyclone shelters or flood relief shelters, depending on the severity of the storm or the rain.

“We have 115 multipurpose cyclone shelters and 17 flood shelters,” said B.P. Kundu, the district disaster management officer of South 24-Parganas.

In East Midnapore, about 25,000 people along the coast may have to be shifted. “How many people have to be shifted will depend on the progress of the cyclone. We are keeping
the cyclone shelters ready. We have 43 multipurpose cyclone shelters,” said Mrityunjoy Halder, the district disaster management officer of East Midnapore.

Motorised boats have been kept ready. Arrangements have been made for the distribuition of relief materials such as tarpaulin sheets and dry food items, including puffed rice, jaggery, rice and pulses.

The specialised disaster management teams in New Town have been equipped with petrol-powered chainsaws, hydraulic earthmovers and trucks, apart from conventional tools such as axes, shovels and rods.

Alapan Bandyopadhay, the chairman of the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA), said the control room of the authority will be functional 24 hours.

In Calcutta, the KMC has planned to conduct awareness campaigns from autorickshaws. Residents will be warned against touching wires and advised to stay indoors. “We may also ask people living in dilapidated buildings to shift to the shelters, depending on the forecast about the possible impacts on Calcutta,” said the KMC official.