Amid the lingering threat of a depression that had already brought heavy rain and dampened the Puja festivities, a sudden cyclonic storm lasting less than a minute swept across parts of the Sandeshkhali island in the Sundarbans delta of North 24-Parganas on Thursday evening, damaging nearly 100 houses and leaving hundreds homeless.
Apart from the homes that collapsed or lost roofs, nearly two dozen electricity poles were uprooted along with tall trees, and at least 20 people sustained injuries. The worst-hit zone was Patharghata village in Agarhati gram panchayat in Sandeshkhali 1 block.
The storm struck around 3.30pm, just as villagers were preparing for the immersion procession of Goddess Durga on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami.
Panic gripped the crowd as the winds tore through homes and puja pandals. “A column of wind rolled across the village and rampaged. It blew away whatever came in its path. Corrugated sheets, tiled roofs, trees, and electricity poles were all uprooted. Dozens of cattle also perished. People were terrified,” said villager Salima Khatun.
Block development officer Sayantan Sen and local Trinamool MLA Sukumar Mahata rushed to the spot to assess the damage and oversee immediate relief. Many families were evacuated and shifted to safer shelters, while the injured were admitted to
nearby hospitals.
Speaking to The Telegraph, MLA Mahata said: “The damage to the houses is very shocking. Mostly kuchcha houses with tiled or corrugated roofs have suffered the most. We visited the affected families and provided immediate support. Polythene sheets and tarpaulins have been distributed to cover immovable properties and to make sheds. At least 100 houses are damaged. We will assess the losses and try to compensate people as per government provisions.”
With most residents in the area depending on farming and fishing, the sudden devastation has left them in deep economic distress. “I don’t know how I will repair my house. The damage will require a huge amount of money,” said villager Panna Sheikh.
On Friday morning, a 20-member CPM team, led by former MLA Nirapada Sardar, visited the affected areas with relief materials. “We are always with people in distress, irrespective of political faith and belief,” said Sardar.
He added that the party had arranged for a six-member team of doctors led by Fuad Halim to visit Sandeshkhali on Saturday to provide medical support.
Almost simultaneously with the cyclonic blow in Sandeshkhali, similar storms struck Kalyani in Nadia and Chandannagar in Hooghly on Thursday night. At Kalyani’s Birohi, about a dozen houses were damaged when the storm hit on Thursday evening, destroying banana plantations extensively. “We were still trying to cope with the damage when the sky turned black with rain again,” said a villager.
In Chandernagore, the storm lasted only a few seconds but left its mark. The Narua Shantir Math area suffered heavy damage, with houses battered and a Durga Puja pavilion flattened, according to local sources.
The back-to-back storms across Sandeshkhali, Kalyani, and Chandannagar left behind a trail of destruction that has cast a shadow over this year’s Durga Puja festivities.
