Power, essential services restored in major parts of cyclone-hit Bengal: Home secy

Normalcy has returned to major parts of West Bengal and government officials are working round the clock to put all districts hit by "Amphan" back on track, a top official said on Tuesday, six days after the extremely severe cyclonic storm tore through the state, decimating houses, uprooting trees and snapping power cables.

Electricity and essential services have largely been restored in Kolkata and the municipal towns, and power utilities have been asked to complete the pending work, if any, at the earliest, Home Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay told a press conference here.

"We have been working on a war footing to restore the supply of power, water and essential services everywhere. We have also succeeded in resuming normal operations at hospitals and water-pumping stations. Power utilities CESC and WBSEDCL have been given firm directions to restore electricity in the remaining areas," he said.

Protests are raging on in various parts of the state, with people claiming that they are going without power and water for the last six days.

Noting that the CESC had claimed that it was encountering problems in resuming power supply in the south and south-eastern suburban areas, Bandyopadhyay said the government, however, was mounting pressure on the company to finish all the pending work as soon as possible.

Around 85 per cent telecommunication services have been reinstated, he added.

At least 86 people were killed and lakhs rendered homeless as Cyclone Amphan cut a path of destruction through a dozen districts of West Bengal, including state capital Kolkata, on May 20.

"Over 50 lakh water pouches have been distributed in the cyclone-hit areas. Around 500 water tankers have been moved to various locations. More than eight lakh people have been shifted to safety.

"We have distributed tarpaulin sheets and food packets to those in the relief camps," Bandyopadhyay said.