Restoration work in process: Mamata on Fani destruction

Restoration work in process: Mamata on Fani destruction

Hirapur (West Bengal): National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel at work in West Bengal

Kolkata, May 4 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said that restoration work was going on following the devastation caused by cyclone Fani, that hit the state earlier in the day but weakened soon after.

Fani entered Bengal at 12.30 a.m. through Odisha's Balasore. It crossed Kharagpur, with a wind speed at 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph. The storm will later move towards Bangladesh.

"Electricity poles went down, some sub-stations were damaged. As per the latest report, around 12 kuccha (thatched) houses have been destroyed. Restoration work is in process," Banerjee told the media.

She said that trees that were uprooted in places like West Midnapore's Goaltore, Digha, Mandarmani and North 24 Parganas district were being cleared.

Major damage will be taken care of in the next two days.

"All the District Magistrates have been instructed to repair the damaged houses," she said.

According to the Chief Minister, nearly 42,000 people who were evacuated will be asked to return to their houses from Sunday.

--IANS

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