Cyclone Fani: Mamata cancels campaigns for 48 hrs, to monitor storm; PM Modi rally deferred

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. (File Photo: IANS)


In the wake of Cyclone Fani hitting the east coast of India in the Bay of Bengal, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has cancelled all her political campaigns for two days.

Mamata has stationed herself in Kharagpur near the coastal belt and will monitor the situation today and Saturday.

“Have cancelled my rallies for the next 48 hours because of what could be an impending disaster #CyclonicStormFANI We are monitoring the situation 24×7 and doing all it takes. I appeal to all people to cooperate. Be alert, take care and stay safe for the next two days,” Mamata Banerjee tweeted.

The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata will remain shut from 3 pm today till 8 am tomorrow in view of the cyclone.

Heavy rainfall lashed Kolkata and the Gangetic West Bengal with Cyclone Fani hitting the Odisha coast on Friday morning.

To tackle any emergency situation, six National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed at Sankrail in Jhargram district, Narayangarh Block in West Medinipur, Ramnagar in East Medinipur, Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas, and Dhamakhali and Hasnabad in North 24 Parganas district.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has formed a team along with police and disaster management departments to monitor the measures being initiated.

The election rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jharkhand’s Chaibasa on May 5 has been deferred by a day and Yogi Adityanath’s Jamshedpur rally, which was scheduled today, has been cancelled. BJP President Amit Shah too has cancelled all three rallies in Jharkhand today due to deteriorating weather conditions.

In view of Cyclone Fani, the Election Commission has approved the proposal for granting relaxations in the provisions of Model Code of Conduct in East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts of Andhra Pradesh, so that preventive and relief work associated can be carried out without any hindrance.