Cyclone Amphan: Amid coronavirus, India to face natural disaster on May 20

New Delhi : Super cyclone Amphan is approaching India and has potential to cause severe damage to the coastlines of Bengal and Odisha when it makes landfall, said NDRF. National Disaster Response Force Director General SN Pradhan said it will be a dual challenge for the security force as it will be tackling the super cyclone amid coronavirus outbreak.

"Cyclone Amphan is very intense and has the potential to do large-scale damage. It’s a big challenge as the cyclone is striking during the outbreak of Covid-19. We have dedicated 53 teams, including those on standby, for Cyclone Amphan and for the people likely to be affected in Odisha, West Bengal," the NDRF DG said at a news briefing.

Soon after cyclone Amphan turned into a super cyclone, PM Narendra Modi chaired a series of meeting to discuss the situation. The Prime Minister has directed that all necessary measures be taken to complete evacuation of people from areas in the cyclone’s path and maintain adequate quantities of essential supplies.

It is expected that the cyclone will be making a landfall on May 20 between Digha in West Bengal and Hatia Island in Bangladesh, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

As expected the wind speeds will be ranging between 195 kmph to 250 kmph, enough to cause multiple disruptions.

According to definition, a super cyclone usually travels with wind speed velocity of almost 250 kmph and makes a tremendous impact on landfall causing large-scale destruction.

"We don’t want to take Amphan lightly as it’s only the second time that India is witnessing a super cyclone after 1999," Pradhan said. Twenty-one years ago, in 1999, another super cyclonic storm had ravaged large parts of Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal. It had taken Odisha, a number of months to repair the extensive damage that the Super Cyclone had caused back then.