KOLKATA: As the city prayed for rain, a storm silently brewed 750 km from Kolkata, deep inside the Bay of Bengal. The small patch of white cloud
detected over the sea by weather office radars at 11.30 am on May 23 had looked anything but threatening. A low-pressure area that might not develop into anything more potent, it seemed. Even if it did, it would perhaps veer towards Bangladesh like it so often has.
But this time it did not. The tiny white patch on the radar swelled into a mighty cyclone — the Aila. Unlike Bijli, that gave the city a go-by a month ago, Aila wreaked havoc in the city, its suburbs and across south Bengal, leaving 32 dead.
When Aila hit Kolkata on Monday morning, exactly 48 hours after its formation, it had picked up enough moisture, wind speed and firepower to immobilize a city that had been longing for showers but was not ready for a sudden twister that would plough through it. Seven persons were killed in the city and 500 trees uprooted, halting traffic at almost every major thoroughfare. Lamp-posts were twisted out of shape and electric lines snapped, plunging parts of the city into darkness. Educational institutions and business establishments were forced to shut down.
As the storm raged, the waters of the Ganga swelled and turned choppy. A launch on its way to Howrah was swept away to the Netaji Subhas dock in Kidderpore. Down south, the Sunderbans witnessed even more scary scenes. Almost all the major tributaries of the Ganga flowed above the danger mark with giant waves — some soaring above 20 feet — lashing the shores, destroying more than 100 embankments and inundating villages.
The city administration and police swung into action and a virtual emergency was declared. Kolkata was last hit by a cyclone in 1981.
Thanks to instruments like the Doppler Weather Radar, Aila had been predicted before it was born. Warnings were issued but alarm bells were not rung. It was on Kolkata before the city knew what to expect. Warning signals were clear as it started raining since early morning. Around 12.30 pm, the wind suddenly picked up and the rain got severe. As hoardings collapsed and missiles of all shapes flew about, Kolkata panicked. How long will it last? Will it get worse?
The questions kept doing the rounds as pedestrians rushed for cover. Shops downed shutters, classes in schools and colleges gave over and offices in the 24x7 Salt Lake IT sector declared a shutdown.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
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