Cyclone Amphan: PM will visit Bengal and Odisha today for an aerial survey.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to West Bengal and Odisha today to take stock of the situation in the wake of Cyclone Amphan. He will conduct aerial surveys and take part in review meetings, where aspects of relief and rehabilitation will be discussed. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had asked the Prime Minister to visit the state and inspect the damage, which she claimed was in the tune of Rs 1 lakh crore.
Cyclone Amphan -- the fiercest in 283 years -- had pounded the North and South 24 Parganas and state capital Kolkata for more than four hours on Wednesday during landfall, uprooting trees, knocking down electricity poles, damaging buildings and killing 76 people.
The cyclone also caused widespread devastation in neighbouring Odisha, damaging power and telecom infrastructure in several coastal districts. Officials of the Odisha government estimated that it has affected around 44.8 lakh people in the state.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has spoken to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Ms Banerjee and given assurances of help.
