Rain creates flood-like situation, districts put on alert
Heavy rains in Gangetic Bengal and few districts of north Bengal disrupted normal life and created a flood-like situation on Tuesday. Some express trains were cancelled while several others were either short-terminated or diverted, railway sources said. The Regional Meteorological Centre, Alipore, also did not give any signs of respite from the situation in the next 24 hours.
“The cyclonic circulation over Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining Bangladesh now lies over Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining areas. Gangetic West Bengal will receive fairly widespread rain or thundershower. Isolated heavy rains will occur in the districts of Murshidabad, Nadia, Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum, Burdwan, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas of Gangetic West Bengal and Malda, North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur districts of Sub-Himalayan West Bengal during the next 24 hours,” Met director G.C. Debnath said. However, unlike the districts, there was some respite from incessant rains for the people of Kolkata.
Meanwhile, the state administration has asked all the districts in south Bengal to be on alert. State irrigation and waterways minister Manas Bhunia said that the situation would deteriorate again following heavy rainfall. “In North Bengal, water level of several rivers are flowing above the danger mark due to heavy rainfall for the last three days. Condition of the river embankments is also poor. Districts like Malda, Jalpaiguri, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, East Midnapore and West Midnapore are being affected due to the heavy rainfall,” he added.
Mr Bhunia has also given a report to chief minister Mamata Banerjee on the present situation and a 24 hour helpline has been opened which is being monitored by the department secretary, Anjan Chatterjee.
The state administration has alerted the district magistrates of Howrah, Hooghly, Burdwan and East Midnapore for a possible flood-like situation as the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) was about to release 70,000 cusecs water from its dam on Tuesday. “However, after the intervention of chief minister, the DVC agreed to release only 60,000 cusecs of water,” Mr Bhunia added.
South-Eastern Railway sources said Howrah-Digha-Howrah Duronto Express, Kandari Express, Howrah-Barbil-Howrah Janshatabdi Express, Lalmati Express and Purulia-Jhargram Express were cancelled for the day. Several express trains were short-terminated at Santragachi instead of Howrah, while a few others were rescheduled, they said, adding 15 pairs of EMU locals were also cancelled due to waterlogging between Howrah and Tikiapara car shed.
Eastern Railway sources said the Howrah-Allahabad City Vibhuti Express, Howrah-Delhi Janata Express and Howrah-Kathgodam Bagh Express were cancelled. Howrah-Dehradun Express Doon Express, Mumbai Mail and Amritsar Mail were rescheduled.
Post new comment