<p>Cyclone Amphan has left behind a trail of staggering destruction across Odisha, West Bengal and Bangladesh. The extremely severe cyclonic storm, with winds gusting up to 185 km per hour, uprooted trees and flattened hundreds of villages across the northern Bay of Bengal coast. Bengal suffered the worst of Amphan’s fury. The 24 Parganas (North and South) have been badly hit while large parts of Kolkata are in ruins. Within 45 minutes of rain, Kolkata went under water. Buildings, telephone lines and electrical pylons were brought down. Kolkata airport has suffered severe damage. Cyclone Amphan is said to be the most severe cyclone to hit India’s east coast since the 1999 ‘super cyclone’ that devastated Odisha and claimed the lives of 10,000 people. Amphan has claimed the lives of 72 people in Bengal. The relatively low fatality figures can be attributed to the massive evacuation efforts preceding the cyclone’s arrival. Some 658,000 people living along the coast were evacuated in West Bengal and Odisha in the run-up to the cyclone and taken to safer areas. However, the low fatality figures should not lull authorities into underestimating Amphan’s destruction. These are early reports. Lines of communication are down and it will be weeks before we have a better idea of the death and destruction caused, especially in remote rural areas.</p>.<p>Amphan has barrelled into India when the country is struggling with COVID-19. The pandemic will severely impact rescue, recovery and rehabilitation efforts. The pandemic’s impact was felt on evacuation efforts; apparently thousands of people refused to be evacuated as they feared crowding in government shelters. The need for social distancing will require rescue centres to house fewer people. How will Bengal cope? Can health infrastructure, which is already creaking under the strain of COVID-19, be able to fight other epidemics likely to break out in the wake of the flooding of Kolkata?</p>.<p>The Narendra Modi government has been feuding with the West Bengal government for some years now. Their sparring has worsened in recent weeks over the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in West Bengal. It cannot be allowed to continue into the post-Amphan period. West Bengal needs massive financial and other support from the Centre. While Prime Minister Modi is set to take an aerial survey of Bengal on Friday, what will be watched is whether or not his government generously supports Bengal at this time. The state is set for Assembly elections next year and the BJP and TMC are set to have a nasty electoral battle. But their petty politics and electoral ambitions must not cast a shadow on post-Amphan rebuilding of West Bengal. </p>
<p>Cyclone Amphan has left behind a trail of staggering destruction across Odisha, West Bengal and Bangladesh. The extremely severe cyclonic storm, with winds gusting up to 185 km per hour, uprooted trees and flattened hundreds of villages across the northern Bay of Bengal coast. Bengal suffered the worst of Amphan’s fury. The 24 Parganas (North and South) have been badly hit while large parts of Kolkata are in ruins. Within 45 minutes of rain, Kolkata went under water. Buildings, telephone lines and electrical pylons were brought down. Kolkata airport has suffered severe damage. Cyclone Amphan is said to be the most severe cyclone to hit India’s east coast since the 1999 ‘super cyclone’ that devastated Odisha and claimed the lives of 10,000 people. Amphan has claimed the lives of 72 people in Bengal. The relatively low fatality figures can be attributed to the massive evacuation efforts preceding the cyclone’s arrival. Some 658,000 people living along the coast were evacuated in West Bengal and Odisha in the run-up to the cyclone and taken to safer areas. However, the low fatality figures should not lull authorities into underestimating Amphan’s destruction. These are early reports. Lines of communication are down and it will be weeks before we have a better idea of the death and destruction caused, especially in remote rural areas.</p>.<p>Amphan has barrelled into India when the country is struggling with COVID-19. The pandemic will severely impact rescue, recovery and rehabilitation efforts. The pandemic’s impact was felt on evacuation efforts; apparently thousands of people refused to be evacuated as they feared crowding in government shelters. The need for social distancing will require rescue centres to house fewer people. How will Bengal cope? Can health infrastructure, which is already creaking under the strain of COVID-19, be able to fight other epidemics likely to break out in the wake of the flooding of Kolkata?</p>.<p>The Narendra Modi government has been feuding with the West Bengal government for some years now. Their sparring has worsened in recent weeks over the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in West Bengal. It cannot be allowed to continue into the post-Amphan period. West Bengal needs massive financial and other support from the Centre. While Prime Minister Modi is set to take an aerial survey of Bengal on Friday, what will be watched is whether or not his government generously supports Bengal at this time. The state is set for Assembly elections next year and the BJP and TMC are set to have a nasty electoral battle. But their petty politics and electoral ambitions must not cast a shadow on post-Amphan rebuilding of West Bengal. </p>
