One of the major deficiencies in disaster management in West Bengal is the total lack of cyclone shelters in the state and the slow pace of mitigation measures. Noting these gaps, the National Disaster Management Authority has taken up the issue with the West Bengal government asking it to expedite its efforts to enable the state to become a part of the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project.
During a recent meeting between the West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and M. Shashidhar Reddy, vice chairman NDMA, the state government was asked to submit the investment proposals under NCRMP.
Mr Reddy said that agreements for the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project were signed by officials of the World Bank and the Centre and two states, namely, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, where it is being implemented in the first phase. Mr Reddy told Mr Bhattacharjee that the submission of investment proposals by West Bengal has to be expedited so that they could at least be included in the second phase of the project, along with the proposals from three other states — all of whom missed the much extended deadlines in the past. The NDMA vice chairman indicated that West Bengal should step up its efforts as it is highly vulnerable to cyclones. Mr Reddy reminded the state government of the situation arising out of cyclone Aila in West Bengal in 2009. Following a visit by the NDMA team to the state , the preparedness of the state for disaster management came under the scanner.
The NDMA is constructing 50 multi-purpose cyclone shelters in three cyclone-prone coastal districts of West Bengal, namely, South 24 Parganas, 24 North Parganas and East Mednipur districts at an estimated cost of `138.65 crores funded from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.