BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik spoke to his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee on Friday and assured all possible help in terms of men and material to overcome the crisis arising out of the extremely severe cyclone Amphan which claimed at least 77 lives and left a trail of destruction.
Naveen enquired about the intensity of the damage caused by the cyclonic storm during a telephonic conversation and conveyed Odisha's solidarity with the people of West Bengal at this hour of crisis.
The Chief Minister's telephonic discussion with Banerjee came a day after he promised to provide assistance to West Bengal, which has been ravaged by cyclone Amphan that made landfall in the Sunderbans on Wednesday. In a tweet, he had expressed deep grief at the loss of lives and massive damage to property caused by the calamity in the neighbouring state.
Naveen had on Thursday directed the chief secretary to remain in touch with his West Bengal counterpart and ensure all possible assistance to the neighbouring state. "The people of Odisha stand with the people of West Bengal at this hour of crisis," he said.
While the cyclone Amphan skirted the Odisha coast and caused minimal damage, it inflicted extensive damage in vast areas of West Bengal. Amphan is considered to be the second major cyclone in the Bay of Bengal after the super cyclone of 1999, which had claimed around 10,000 lives in Odisha and devastated vast areas in the state.
Odisha had rushed men and resources to the southern state of Kerala, which was severely hit by unprecedented floods in 2018. The rescue-and-relief teams from Odisha actively took part in the rehabilitation and resettlement of the flood-hit people in Kerala.