West Bengal faces flood threat june 20

More than 500 areas in North and South 24 Parganas districts vulnerable

Incessant rain has led to a flood-like situation in some parts of West Bengal on Sunday, even as heavy rainfall is predicted over the next 24 hours.

Parts of Bankura, Paschim Medinipur and Hooghly districts and the Sunderbans experienced heavy rainfall over the past 72 hours. The situation is being continuously monitored and the district administrations are making announcements over loudspeakers asking people to move to safety, said Manas Bhunia, Minister for Irrigation and Waterways.

More than 500 areas in North and South 24 Parganas districts are said to be vulnerable, with breaches occurring in the embankments of several rivers.

Dr. Bhunia said that to carry out repairs, engineers of his department had been sent to the areas where breaches had occurred.

“The district administration and Irrigation and Disaster Management departments are working on the matter. A 24-hour control room has been set up,” he said.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed concern over the situation and spoke to Dr. Bhunia about the measures initiated to tackle it, he added.

The deep depression that formed over the northern Bay of Bengal and crossed the West Bengal coast on June 16 has weakened and moved over Jharkhand. However, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in the coming 24 hours in Bankura, Birbhum, Hooghly, Bardhaman and Murshidabad districts, said G. C. Debnath, director of the weather section of the Regional Meteorological Centre.

Heavy rain is also expected in the rest of the State, officials of the Met department said.

Meanwhile, four boats that went missing on June 16 were found during the day. The district administration established contact with 30 trawlers on Saturday, but four more remained untraced.

POWER CUTSIN RANCHI

Ranchi Staff Reporter reports:

Heavy rainfall was witnessed in many parts of Jharkhand.

The arrival of the monsoon in the State on June 15 disrupted life in many areas. In Ranchi, water gushed into low-lying areas, damaging many houses.

Adding to the residents' woes, the State capital has been witnessing 16 to 18 hours of power cuts since the last four days.

The worst sufferers are those rendered homeless in the demolition drive that started in March.

Reports said heavy rain claimed the lives of two infants living in makeshift tents.

ORISSA RIVERSSWOLLEN

PTI reports from Bhubaneswar/Balasore:

In northern Orissa, the flood situation continued to be grim for the second day on Sunday, with several low-lying areas getting submerged and paddy fields inundated.

The swollen Baitarani river affected many low-lying areas of Keonjhar, Jajpur and Dhenkanal districts, and the Subarnarekha and the Budhabalanga posed a threat to Balasore, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj districts.

Though the level in the Jalaka was gradually receding in Balasore district, fresh breaches along its banks in Basta block caused inundation in vast paddy fields.

Water from the Subarnarekha spread to many areas in Bhograi and Jaleswar blocks.

A small bridge at Kudia on the Basta-Baliapal main road was washed away affecting road communication; at least 10 villages remained affected due to the swollen Jalaka.

However, the water level in major rivers like the Mahanadi, the Debi, the Kusabhadra, the Bansadhara and the Rushikulya remained steady.