Cyclone Fani: Air India resumes operation at Kolkata Airport

Kolkata Airport. Pic/AFP

Kolkata: The Air India on Saturday announced the recommencement of operation from 9.45 am at Kolkata Airport. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) ordered the cancellation of all flights to and from Bhubaneswar and Kolkata airports due to cyclone Fani on Thursday.

The National carrier also stepped forward to help residents of Odisha affected by the Cyclone Fani and has decided to ship free of cost relief material to cyclone-affected areas by any NGO/ Civil society/ Self Help Group etc.

After wreaking havoc at the Puri, Bhubaneswar and other parts in Odisha on Friday, cyclonic storm Fani made landfall in West Bengal early on Saturday. Rain lashed Kolkata and other coastal towns in West Bengal.

According to IMD the cyclone will weaken and move into Bangladesh by noon. "Severe Cyclone FANI weakened into a Cyclonic Storm and lay centered at 60 km NW of Kolkata at 0530 IST of 4th May. To weaken into Deep Depression and move into Bangladesh by noon," tweeted IMD.

People of West Bengal heaved a sigh of relief as severe cyclonic storm Fani weakened on Saturday morning and was moving towards neighbouring Bangladesh, a senior official of the regional meteorological centre said. The city witnessed wind speeds of 30-40 kmph with moderate to heavy rainfall overnight, he said. There was no report of any casualty or major damage in the districts through which the cyclone passed, officials said.

"Fani is likely to continue to move north-northeastwards and weaken further over the next six hours. "It is very likely to move further north-northeastwards and enter Bangladesh around noon as a deep depression with wind speeds of 50-60 kmph, gusting to 70 kmph," Deputy Director General of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata Sanjib Bandyopadhyay said.

The very severe cyclonic storm weakened into a severe cyclonic storm over the Odisha coast, before moving further north-northeastwards and entering West Bengal through Kharagpur in West Midnapore around 12.30 am on Saturday. "It has moved to Arambagh in Hooghly and is now in Nadia district...and is moving towards Murshidabad district," Bandyopadhyay said.

A senior official said apart from a few mud houses collapsing and tress falling, there were no reports of casualties from any of the districts.

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