Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba today chaired a meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee, NCMC to review the preparedness to deal with Severe cyclone Bulbul over the Bay of Bengal. It is likely to affect coastal districts of West Bengal and Odisha.

Mr Gauba took stock of the current situation and directed that immediate assistance as required be provided. He advised both the states to take all steps to avoid casualties and damage to infrastructure and assured them of all assistance from the Centre in this regard. State Government of West Bengal was specifically requested to ensure that people in low-lying areas in Sagar islands, East Medinipur and North and South 24-Pargana districts are evacuated to prevent any loss of life. The State Governments were also requested to ensure that all fishermen presently at sea are brought back to the shore at the earliest.

India Meteorological Department, IMD informed that the cyclone that had developed in Bay of Bengal has now intensified and is likely to cross the West Bengal coast by Sunday early morning. Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, accompanied by winds reaching up to 110 to 120 kilometres per hour and tidal waves up to 1.5 metres are expected.

Officials of West Bengal and Odisha Governments informed that necessary preparations have been made by them, and, SDRF and Fire Service teams have been positioned. Fishing operations have been suspended and people in low-lying areas being evacuated to shelter homes. While 14 teams of NDRF have been positioned, additional teams are being deployed at the request of states. Officials of Ministry of Defence intimated that teams of Coast Guard and Indian Navy are already deployed and Army and Air Force are on the standby.

Senior officials of the Ministries of Home, Defence, as well as those from IMD and NDRF, NDMA attended the meeting. Senior officers from West Bengal and Orissa participated in the meeting through Video Conference.