Protest against inefficient measures for cyclone Aila victims

Kolkata, May 30 (ANI): Congress Party supporters protested on Saturday against inefficient disaster management by the State authorities following cyclone Aila's havoc in different parts of the state.

Protestors said that the relief work being carried out by the State Government was inadequate and much more needed to be done for affected people's actual help.

Participants in the protest said that though the state government has demanded grant from the Central government but it remains to be assured that the money and relief material will reach the affected families.

Protestors also burnt the effigy of State Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in Kolkata.

"The cyclone Aila has affected the southern and northern parts of the state leaving thousands of people affected. The river area of 400 kilometres has been affected. Vast damage has taken place. There has been a lot of damage. Almost 150 people have died. But the disaster management programme of the government of West Bengal, to tackle the aftermath of natural disasters, is a complete failure," said Pradip Prasad, Youth Congress Party Leader leading the protest.

Cyclone Aila that originated over the Bay of Bengal on Monday (May 25) caused havoc in many parts of West Bengal and Bangladesh.

The resultant thunderstorm, tidal waves and flooding forced half a million people to abandon their homes in Medinipur, Sundarbans (located in South 24 Parganas), North 24 Parganas and Hooghly districts.

Millions of people in India and Bangladesh who have been temporarily displaced are in desperate need of water, food and adequate shelter after the cyclone Aila hit the region.

It is estimated that cyclone Aila killed at least 210 people and injured over 6,400 in India and Bangladesh.

While hundreds of thousands of residents were evacuated to cyclone shelters, schools, colleges and other buildings, the high winds and floods destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes, ravaged crops, killed livestock and damaged roads and bridges.

In West Bengal, authorities say that nearly 2.3 million people have been affected. (ANI)