Banerjee to send report to centre on cyclone Aila havoc

Kolkata, May 31 (IANS) Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee Sunday said she would send a report to the central government on the havoc wrecked by cyclone Aila in West Bengal based on inputs from her ministers, district councils and the district administrations.

'Five of our (Trinamool Congress) central ministers have toured the affected areas. I will take reports from them as also from the zilla parishads (district councils). Whichever district magistrate gives me report, I will take them too. And on the basis of all of these, I shall send a report to Delhi,' Banerjee told mediapersons here.

Terming the situation in the Aila-hit areas as bad, she alleged that relief was yet to reach many villages even a week after the May 25 calamity. 'So far nobody knows how many have died. Diarrhoea has started.'

She said there was an exodus of people from remote areas like Basanti and Gosaba of South 24 Parganas to Kolkata.

Asked what could be the quantum of assistance by the central government, Banerjee said the question was premature as the decision would be taken after assessment.

She said the disaster management wing of the home ministry will decide when it will send a team to the state and the areas they will visit.

So far 125 deaths have been reported in the cyclone which tore through extensive parts of the state Monday levelling houses, uprooting trees, snapping power cables and leaving a trail of destruction in 13 of the 19 districts.

Nearly 600,000 houses have been fully or partially damaged in the calamity which has affected over six million people.

South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas districts have been the worst-hit and hundreds of villages continued to be marooned with saltwater intrusion destroying the paddy crops.