HUMAN WRONGS WATCH

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The country is facing the scourge of Amphan as it fights the new coronavirus pandemic. To ensure hygiene and social distancing, the number of shelters has been doubled by providing local schools and other installations.

“We are also maintaining separate isolation rooms in the shelters for any infected patients,” Rahman said.

Authorities fear that Amphan will be even more powerful than Cyclone Sidr, 2007, which killed some 3,500 people.

“People who have been confined because of COVID-19 are hesitant to leave their homes, even if only briefly, to go to a central shelter. They’re afraid it’s going to be crowded,” the relief group Catholic Relief Services (CRS) said.

The days ahead will be bleak, with deteriorating sanitation and low access to water for many people living on the coast, according to the charity.

Indian authorities said they were prepared to move up to 1.1 million people if necessary.

The cyclone is one of the strongest storms of the year, with winds of up to 185 km per hour.