West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed deep concern about the flood-like situation in the state and revealed that around 10,000 individuals have been successfully rescued and provided shelter in 190 relief camps spread across nine districts in both southern and northern parts of the state.
Despite recuperating from a leg injury, Chief Minister Banerjee is personally overseeing the situation round the clock from her residence. She has also taken measures to tackle the flooding, including the cancellation of leaves for numerous state government officials.
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose is scheduled to visit the flood-affected districts in the northern part of the state on Thursday. The northern region shares its border with Sikkim, which recently experienced a flash flood in the Teesta river, resulting in casualties, injuries, and several individuals missing.
During a meeting to assess the situation, Banerjee directed Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi and Home Secretary BP Gopalika to promptly dispatch a team of senior officials to the flood-affected areas of West Bengal.
“We have already rescued 10,000 people from low-lying areas in the districts. Already SDRF and NDRF teams have been alerted. I will monitor the situation 24/7 from home with a leg injury which may require another week to recover,” she stated.
The state government reported that a total of 5,800 people were evacuated in the northern districts of Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and Cooch Behar. Additionally, 5,018 individuals were rescued in the southern districts of Howrah, Hooghly, Paschim Medinipur, Purulia, and Bankura.
Banerjee also directed Chief Secretary Dwivedi to establish a 24-hour control room for people to register complaints related to the flood. The NH-10 road connecting Sikkim’s capital, Gangtok, and Siliguri in northern West Bengal, has been severely damaged near the Likhuvir-Setijhora stretch due to the flooding. Repairs will be initiated as soon as the water recedes in the Teesta river.
Adequate relief camps have been set up across the state, and Banerjee urged affected individuals to seek shelter in these facilities. A total of 28 relief camps have been established in the northern part of the state, and 190 in the southern region.
Governor CV Ananda Bose, who arrived in New Delhi from Kochi on Wednesday evening, will return to Kolkata early Thursday morning to assess the flood situation in north Bengal. He has been in contact with Governors of neighboring states, including Sikkim, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the flood situation.
Apart from the northern districts, parts of South 24 Parganas, the Sunderbans, and Sagar Island have also been affected by the floods. The state government has set up a 24/7 Control Room at Nabanna (state secretariat) and another one at the Tourism Department. Integrated control rooms have also been established in all districts to manage the situation effectively.
Senior ministers and bureaucrats have been dispatched to North Bengal to oversee rescue and relief efforts. The release of a substantial volume of water from the Teesta barrage, coupled with heavy rainfall and discharge from dams, has contributed to the flood-like conditions in various districts.
The situation is further exacerbated by a low-pressure system, resulting in heavy rainfall in south Bengal and neighboring Jharkhand. Efforts are ongoing to provide relief and support to the affected regions as the state grapples with this natural calamity.
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