Post-Amphan, 10 additional NDRF teams sent to West Bengal

NEW DELHI: As cyclone Amphan's nine-hour march through seven south Bengal districts left over 70 casualties and a trail of devastation on Wednesday, the Centre on Saturday mobilized 10 additional NDRF teams in the State for restoration work.

These National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams are being sent on receipt of a written request from Principal Secretary (Disaster Management and Civil Defence), West Bengal government, the Home Ministry official said.

"Ten additional NDRF teams have been mobilized and are being rushed at the earliest from NDRF locations outside West Bengal. Teams are likely to reach Kolkata by late night today (Saturday)," the official added.

Presently 26 NDRF teams are deployed in cyclone affected areas of West Bengal for restoration work as hundreds of houses were destroyed and embankments were breached at many places due to the Amphan's march in the State, leaving scores of villages swimming in misery.

The additional deployment of 10 teams will bring the total deployment to 36 teams of NDRF across the six most affected districts of West Bengal by Amphan which fizzled out in Bangladesh on Thursday morning after leaving a trail of destruction across a wide swathe of West Bengal and Odisha. Roads and various public utilities worth hundreds of crores were damaged in West Bengal. (IANS) 

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