Cyclone Bulbul: Pilots at Sagar Island help evacuees

KOLKATA: Nearly 200 people from nearby villages took shelter at the pilotage station of Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) on

Sagar Island

even as

Cyclone Bulbul

made landfall around 8.30 pm on Saturday.


The Hooghly River Pilots shared whatever stores were available while the local gram panchayats pitched in with some material. The villagers also spent the night in rooms normally allocated to the pilots and other KoPT officials at the compound and left on Sunday morning after weather conditions improved.

“We were approached by panchayat pradhans to provide shelter to the villagers. We readily agreed. On an average, 12-13 pilots occupy the station every day. There are provisions stocked for them. These were used to provide dinner to the villagers,” KoPT chairman Vinit Kumar said.