Bengal Govt issues flood alert for 7 districts, holds urgent meeting as heavy rain continues

Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi also held a virtual meeting with the district magistrates, commissioners of police, and superintendents of police of Paschim Burdwan, Bankura, Birbhum, Purba Burdwan, Purba Medinipur, Hooghly, and Howrah where the flood alert has been issued.

The meeting was also attended by senior officials of Nabanna, the Irrigation and Waterways Department, the Disaster Management Department, and Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Jawed Shamim.

During the meeting, Dwivedi said the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted rainfall will continue until October 5 and has forecast heavy rainfall on October 3.

According to the weather bureau, the well-marked low-pressure area is currently hovering over Jharkhand and is likely to continue there for some more time. This will continue to cause high precipitation and will result in high inflow into the dams. Rainfall in Jharkhand was measured more than 50 mm in the upper catchment area on October 1.

“Inflow into Maithon Dam is currently 60,000 cusec and at Panchet Dam is 73,000 cusec. The release from the dams downstream was made 1,00,000 cusec at gam onwards today. However, considering the weather prediction and the decreasing cushion level of the dams to accommodate the continuing high inflow of water, the release may have to be increased in the coming hours in a calibrated manner. The Irrigation and Waterways Department will be in touch with the DVC and Jharkhand authorities and keep a close watch over the situation,” a statement issued by the state government said.

The government also asked district authorities to give a report about the rainfall, river water levels, embankment breaches, and evacuation every five hours and share them with the disaster management control room. District officials have been asked to keep Integrated Command Centres operational in districts.

As per the weather forecast, Sunday’s well-marked low-pressure area weakened into a low-pressure area and now lies over Southwest Jharkhand and adjoining North Chhattisgarh. “The associated cyclonic circulation extends up to 7.6 km above mean sea levels tilting southwards with height. Enhanced rainfall activity is likely to occur from October 2 to October 3 over the districts of West Bengal,” said a weather official.

As per the weather office, heavy to very heavy rainfall is predicted in South 24 Parganas, East and West Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura West Bardhaman, Birbhum, Murshidabad, and Jhargram districts on Tuesday. In North Bengal, a yellow warning has been issued for Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri Kalimpong, Coochbehar, and Alipurduar districts.

As per weather prediction under the influence of low pressure, intermittent rain is expected to continue over the next 48 hours. The state government has instructed all civic bodies to take appropriate steps to combat the incessant rain.

Police and administrative officials of the seven districts have been directed to take these steps:

• Identify low-lying and flood-prone immediately.

* Take preparatory measures for the evacuation of people to a safer location, if required.

* Closely monitor water-logging and embankment breaches and remedy them as early as possible. Executive Engineers from the Irrigation and Waterways Department have been asked to liaise with the district administration in this regard.

* Keep adequate reserve of the relief material, including other flood-fighting materials like sandbags etc for embankment protection, in stock in low-lying vulnerable areas.

* Make appropriate lighting arrangements for relief and rescue operations.

* Inform if any area receives unusually high rainfall, as the water release would need to take into account the precipitation in the lower reaches also.

* Keep Integrated Command Centres operational in these districts.