In Kakdwip, Sudhir Das tries to repair his house, which was damaged in the cyclone. (Photo: Atri Mitra)

Despite Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s appeal to people on Saturday to be patient with state officials as they try to restore normalcy in the aftermath of Cyclone Amphan, residents of Kakdwip and Namkhana in South 24 Parganas district accused the administration of deserting them in their hour of need.

The 39-km stretch from Kakdwip to Bakkhali was strewn with twisted electricity poles. None of the trees on either side of the road survived the cyclone, and most of the crops were damaged. While some pucca houses survived the onslaught, asbestos roofs were blown away.

In Kakdwip, 60-year-old fisherman Sudhir Das said: “We have not gone out with trawlers since the lockdown started. All our money is gone. No one came here from the administration or ruling party. We will not survive like this.”

Namkhana resident Gouri Mondol, 41, said his home was completely damaged in the storm.

District officials said they were prepared for the cyclone, but not this scale of devastation. “There may be some delay in restoration and relief work, but we will overcome it,” said one of them.