Amphan toll rises to 85 in Bengal; protests over electricity, water supply
Kolkata: The death toll due to Cyclone Amphan in West Bengal has risen to 85, as angry Kolkatans resorted to protest and road blockades in various parts of the city over the administration's failure to restore normalcy even after three days.
With normal life thrown out of gear by the region's worst weather disasters, the authorities scrambled in various parts of the state to restore normalcy.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to visit Cyclone Amphan hit South 24 Parganas district on Saturday and take stock of the situation.
Lakhs of people were rendered homeless as Cyclone Amphan cut a path of destruction through half-a-dozen districts of the state on Wednesday, flattening houses, uprooting thousands of trees and swamping low-lying areas.
According to official sources, around 1.5 crore people of the state have been directly affected and more than 10 lakh houses destroyed due to the cyclone.
Although electricity and mobile connection were restored in some parts of Kolkata, and North and South 24 Parganas districts, many areas continued to remain in darkness as power poles had been blown away and communication lines snapped.
Several roads and houses in Kolkata, Howrah, and North and South 24 Parganas districts continue to remain waterlogged, as hapless citizens came out on the streets against the administration's "apathy and ineffectiveness".
People in various parts of Kolkata staged protests and blockades since Friday night demanding immediate resumption of power and water supply, three days after Amphan ravaged the state.
Firhad Hakim, chairman of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation board of administrators, assured the people that normalcy would be restored in a week, as government officials were working round the clock to improve the situation.
"More than 5,000 trees have been uprooted. We have already cleared several roads," Hakim said. "We are in touch with the private power supply provider and had asked them to restore supply as early as possible."
In Kakdwip area of South 24 Parganas district, people complained that they were not given enough tarpaulin sheets to cover the roofs of houses damaged by the cyclone.
In Hingalganj block of North 24 Parganas, people claimed they were running out of food, as shops in the vicinity were yet to lift shutters in the aftermath of the calamity.
"The entire area is underwater and we are out of food for the last three days. We are yet to get any relief," said Geeta Mahali, a resident of the area.
Several relief camps have come up in the districts, where hapless people have queued up for two squares of meal and shelter after their homes being either blown or washed away.
Teams of the National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Relief Force have been working on a war-footing to clear the roads blocked by the uprooted trees.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had flew down to Kolkata on Friday and undertook an aerial survey of the cyclone-hit areas along with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Lauding the efforts of the state government in combating the crisis, Modi announced an advance assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for the state.
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Modi govt facing strong anti-incumbency, claims Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah
Mysuru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday claimed that there is a strong anti-incumbency against the Narendra Modi government.
Calling the JD(S) a "communal party", for having an alliance with BJP in Karnataka, he suggested it is better for its leadership to dissolve the outfit.
"This time, whether it is in Karnataka or in the country, there is no Modi wave. BJP candidates are seeking votes in the name of Modi, they are dependent on Modi. There is a strong anti-incumbency against the Modi government," Siddaramiah said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, as there is no Modi wave, there is an atmosphere in favour of Congress and INDIA bloc across the country.
Defending Congress' sarcasm-laced campaign alleging that the Modi government's gift to Karnataka was empty 'Chombu' (Kannada word for a round water pot), Siddaramaiah said, "Did they give Rs 15 lakh to every account holder as promised?, Did he create 2 crore jobs a year?, Did he double farmers income?, Did good days come?"
Modi has not fulfilled even a single assurance he had given, he said. "So Modi has given the people of the state and the country an empty 'Chombu'. Let them (BJP) say anything, our (state's) coffers are not empty, we (Congress govt) have implemented five guarantee schemes, and we have continued the developmental works."
Alleging that JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy has become "communal" after joining hands with the BJP, the CM claimed JD(S) is no longer a secular party.
"The JD(S) is a communal party. Since they are having an alliance with BJP in Karnataka, it is better they dissolve JD(S)," he said, adding, as BJP and JD(S) fear losing the elections they have formed an alliance to fight Congress, which is fighting independently.
Stating that the murder of Neha Hiremath in Hubballi is not a case of "love jihad", Siddaramaiah said, he strongly condemns the incident, and the accused has been arrested immediately.
"Investigation will be done seriously and it will be ensured that the culprit is strictly punished," the chief minister said.
In a shocking incident, Neha Hiremath (23), daughter of Congress councillor of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation Niranjan Hiremath, was stabbed to death on the campus of BVB College on Thursday.
The accused, Fayaz Khondunaik, who fled from the scene, was arrested by the police subsequently.
Noting that murders have taken place "during all times", the chief minister said the government has taken the issue of law and order seriously. The law and order situation is good in Karnataka. "We will condemn all acts of murder, robbery or anything, and ensure that culprits are punished," he said, as he accused the opposition of using the death for political reasons.
