Kolkata: It’s been two months since cyclone Yaas battered Bengal and and more than a year since cyclone Amphan ravaged the state. But teams from Lake Kalibari on Southern Avenue are still reaching out to the cyclone-affected, attending to their needs and also showing them how to stay safe in the pandemic.
The Southern Avenue temple seems to have emerged as a leader in philanthropy, routinely visiting the cyclone-affected areas of South 24 Parganas and West Midnapore. The areas include Kakdwip, Sagar, Diamond Harbour under Gosaba block of Canning sub-division in South 24 Parganas and Daspur-2 block, Ghatal in West Midnapore. They have also started a project to raise awareness among fishermen on staying afloat during inclement weather conditions.
“On one hand, people are fighting the pandemic and on the other, vast stretches of our state have been hit by cyclones for two consecutive years. That’s why we decided to be with the cyclone-affected and provide relief material and any other help,” said Lake Kalibari’s medical team head, Utsho Basu, an endocrinologist attached to Apollo Hospital.
Last Tuesday, a team led by Basu went to Dwariknagar in Namkhana block to distribute relief material to those affected by cyclone Yaas. Their next stop will be the riverine areas of Sunderbans. “People are affected very badly this time. Though the immediate impact is similar to any cyclone that has hit these areas previously, the long-time impact is severe,” said Basu.
