Kolkata: The city is on tenterhooks as Cyclone Phailin, forming over the Bay of Bengal, threatens to dampen the rest of the five-day Durga Puja festival.
According to the meteorological department, the cyclone is expected to make landfall on the West Bengal-Odish coast around Saturday evening bringing in torrential rainfall with winds expected to reach speeds of 205km per hour.
Some forecasters likened its size and intensity to that of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the US Gulf coast in 2005.
“The depression has turned into a monster and can be classified as grade 5 cyclone. The very severe cyclonic storm, Phailin, over east central Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 15 kilometres per hour and lay centred about 520km south-southeast of Paradip, 530 kilometres from Gopalpur and east-southeast of Kalingapatnam,” the met department said in its latest bulletin.
The administration is taking measures on a war footing as it apprehends serious loss of property and asking people to remain indoors during that time.
Helicopters are on standby, ready to drop food packets into isolated areas, officials said.
Authorities warned of extensive damage to crops, village dwellings and old buildings, as well as disruption of power, water and rail services.
West Bengal is also expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall and gusty winds from Saturday. The possibility of a cyclone has prompted the city police to assess safety measures at large puja mandaps and tableaux made of bamboo, wood and other heavy materials.
“Materials like this can turn into a lethal weapon due to the impending winds.
“We have asked the organisers to remove any loose material that the winds may pick up. The city police is also prepared to evacuate people from low lying areas in case of emergency,” said police commissioner of Kolkata Surajit Kar Purkayastha.