15 out of 19 districts in flood-like situation
Large parts of 15 out of 19 districts in the state were facing flood-like situation.
“Sixteen lakh people have been affected and there have so far been 14 casualties following heavy rain,” the state chief secretary Samar Ghosh said after a high-level meeting at the Writers’ Buildings. Although, the state government claimed that huge volumes of relief materials, including food, were despatched to affected area, many villagers complained of receiving little relief. State tourism minister Rachpal Singh was virtually gheraoed by angry villagers in Khanakul in Hooghly. State irrigation minister Manas Bhuina denied reports of lack of co-ordination among various departments in dealing with the situation.
Significantly, the state government has declared only one block of Howrah-Udaynarayanpur as flood-hit zone. At least 16 lakh people under 171 blocks, 52 municipalities in 15 out of 19 districts have been affected. “Damodar Valley Corporation has released 1.05 lakh cusecs of water from Panchet and Maithon dams till 1 pm. This has created flood-like situation in Khanakul I and II, Goghat, Amta I and II in Howrah and Purshura in Hooghly,” Mr Ghosh added.
There would be uncontrolled discharge of water and it might touch 1.43 lakh cusecs at the Durgapur Barrage and 40,000 cusecs from Kangsabati barrage. One company of National Disaster Response Force had been sent to Udaynarayanpur for relief operations. 100 relief camps in North 24 Pargans, 50 in Hooghly, five in Malda, three in Burdwan, two in Howrah and Murshidabad have been set up.
Meanwhile, Alipore’s Regional Meteorological Centre director G.C. Debnath said, “Friday’s well-marked low pressure area over Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining area now lies over Jharkhand and neighbourhood. Although there may be a let up in rain in South Bengal, very heavy rain is predicted in Malda, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Coochbehar. The districts of Howrah, Hooghly, Burdwan, Birbhum, Bankura, East and West Midnapore, North 24 Paraganas and South 24 Paraganas, Murshidabad, Nadia, Purulia districts of West Bengal till Sunday noon. Further heavy rain is likely in isolated places over Damodar Valley area during next 48 hours.”
Kolkata and adjoining areas will receive intermittent rain or thundershower with one or two spells of heavy rainfall in some areas.
Meanwhile, breach of embankments of the Brahmani in Birbhum and Ichhamati in North 24 Parganas have been reported. District administrations of Howrah, Hooghly, Burdwan , Midnapore (east and West) have been alerted of possible discharge of water from the Durgapur and Kagshabati dam respectively. State ministers visited various affected areas under the instruction of chief minister Mamata Banerjee. State law minister Malay Ghat visited Aushgram and Mangolkot in Burdwan and industry minister Partha Chatterjee parts of Hooghly.
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