Cyclone Amphan made its landfall in West Bengal between Digha and Hatiya on the afternoon of May 20, as a very severe cyclonic storm with sustained wind speeds of 155-165 kilometres per hour spiralling up to 185 kilometres per hour. The coastal state of Odisha and
the neighbouring country of Bangladesh was also impacted by the cyclone.
For a region that is already strained by the impacts of COVID-19, the cyclone is an unprecedented environmental and social disaster and provides a multi-faceted case study showing how urgently the world needs to begin adapting to the changing climate.
COVID-19 has multiplied the vulnerability of people who are at risk of displacement by storms, floods and other climate disasters. “The government infrastructure has been inadequate to provide shelter to all the people evacuated as the cyclone hit,” said Harjeet Singh, Global Lead for Climate Change at ActionAid International.
Bollywood superstar, Shah Rukh Khan has come forward to help the people affected by the Cyclone Amphan. Leading from the front once again, Shah Rukh Khan’s Indian Premier League team, Kolkata Knight Riders took to social media to announce their support for West Bengal after the destructive Amphan cyclone hit the state a few days back. In the post, they announced that a total of 5000 trees will be planted in the city of Kolkata.
This relief package also included an undisclosed amount that was donated to the CM’s relief fund. He also provided the four most effected areas, Kolkata, North and South 24 Parganas and East Medinipur with ration and essential supplies.
Expressing his solidarity to those who have lost their lives, Shah Rukh Khan wrote, “My prayers, thoughts and love to those affected by the devastation caused by cyclone Amphan in Bengal & Odisha. The news has left me feeling hollow. Each and every one of them is my own. Like my family. We must stay strong through these testing times until we can smile together again.”
Other celebrities have also come forward to express their condolences and are urging their fans and followers to donate to the various funds set up for helping the ones in need. On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew down to West Bengal and Odisha to conduct an aerial survey of the cyclone-hit areas. He also announced Rs 1,000 crore relief package for West Bengal and Rs 500 crore for Odisha.
