By - Arnav Sampigethaya
Cyclone Amphan is a super-cyclonic storm that formed in the Bay of Bengal on 13th May 2020. It is the first cyclone of this kind to develop in the Bay of Bengal in 21 years. As if the pandemic was not enough, another blow comes to West Bengal and Bangladesh. 72 have been confirmed dead in India by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. West Bengal’s capital of Kolkata has been hit the worst with its International Airport completely flooded. The scenes are of absolute horror and the cyclone is one of the most ferocious to hit the country in a long time.
The governments of Odisha, West Bengal and Bangladesh were quick to act, successfully evacuating a total of 4.2 million citizens and providing shelter in areas where the effects of the cyclone are much less pronounced. In an already frightening time, to lose electricity and cell reception on top of any form of access to essentials makes this a particularly troubling natural disaster. It is far too early to predict the overall impact this natural disaster will have. For now, all we can do as the common people of this country is pray for the people in the affected areas.
Comments