Exodus continues from Sundarban islands ahead of high tide

Gosaba (WB), Jun 6 (PTI) Exodus of people continued from
the cyclone Aila battered islands of Sundarbans in India's
eastern state West Bengal to escape inundation by full moon
high tide 'Bhora Kotal', which is expected to hit the area
Sunday.

Sundarbans Development Minister Kanti Ganguly said over a
lakh people had fled the islands of Kumirmari, Lahiripur,
Satchelia, Amtoli, Patharpratima and G Plot, which is the
farthest in the mouth of the Bay of Bengal in South 24
Parganas.

The fear of heavy rains due to yet another low pressure
area in the sea, however, receded with the weather office
saying there was no weather warning for any cyclone and rain
was expected in the next 24 hours.

To avoid any loss of life in the high tide, South 24
Parganas district authorities are urging people of the remote
islands over public address system to move to higher areas.

Large boats have been kept here in readiness to ferry the
people who are arriving here by small boats. While many of
them are leaving for their relatives' houses others are being
put up at school buildings here.

A total 305 relief camps have already been put up in the
district to house one lakh evacuees.

The full moon tide in the riverine Sundarbans area is
considerably higher than the normal high tides.

Ganguly and state Irrigation Minister Subash Naskar, who
are supervising the situation, have asked the Sundarbans
Development Board, the irrigation department and civil defence
volunteers to keep a watch over the situation.

Two hundred civil defence volunteers, besides the army
and navy, which arrived with speedboats on Thursday, have been
asked to stand by for rescue work.

People staying in higher areas have been asked to keep a
watch over the embankments as the repair work on them are yet
to be completed, Naskar said.

Minister of state for Information and Broadcasting
C.M.Jatua will visit Raidighi and Patharpratima Sunday.

A central team would visit here, while another will go to
Sandeshkhali and Hingalganj in North 24 Parganas Sunday. PTI
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