Flood threat looms large,state on alert

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee closely monitored the situation throughout the day and Irrigation Minister Manas Bhuniya held meetings with officials. He later confirmed of the critical situation in several areas and said that alerts had been issued in the districts of Budwan,Hooghly,Birbhum,West Midnapore,Murshidabad and Bankura.

Banerjee held a meeting with ministers at her residence and formed a committee for handling natural calamities. Irrigation Minister Bhuniya,Rural Affairs Minister Chandranath Sinha and Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Javed Ahmed Khan will be part of the committee.

The meteorological department has predicted heavy to heavy rainfall in the Gangetic plains of South Bengal in the next 24 hours.

Incessant rain in the last 24 hours have affected several villages in Daspur-I,Daspur-II,Ghatal,Debra and Kharagpur (II) blocks in West Midnapore.

Officials said there had been severe breaches along embankments in these places with 22 villages getting flooded.

Heavy rainfall has caused extensive damage in Bipur-II,Jambani,Jhargram and Garbeta,Sabang and Pingla. The water level in the Shilabati,Darakeswar and Rupnarayan rivers is flowing above the safe limit.

“We have received ground-level reports from engineers and block-level officials about the critical situation. Thousands of houses in every village have been completely damaged. Relief work has been undertaken and we have provided 4,500 plastic sheets and dry food to the homeless,” said Ramkrishna Maity,ADM(Dev),West Midnapore.

Maity said 5000 cusecs water had been released from the catchments in the Shilabati river. All major transportation links in the state have been hit with the Shilda- Belpahari highway cut off due to excess water level in the rivers. Local NGOs said that the situation is grave and possible heavy rain might result in complete flooding in most of these areas.

Paschimanchal Unnyoyon Minister Sukumar Hansda visited some of the affected areas on Sunday.

Bankura received heavy rainfall of nearly 130 mm in the last 24 hours,resulting in the destruction of houses in several areas.

Senior district officials have been asked to monitor the situation closely and special funds will be released for relief purposes.

In Khatra,Bankura and Bishnupur sub-divisions,families have been removed to safer places but officials admitted that many were yet to get help.

“We have formed a special team at the block level to ensure proper delivery of relief items. We are also closely monitoring the water level in the Damodar river and are in constant touch with the Damodar Valley Corporation(DVC) authorities over the possible release of water,” said Jayanta Maity,ADM(Dev),Bankura.

He said health teams had been sent to villages and blocks as a precautionary measure to tackle any epidemic in case of heavy rain in the next few days.