Floods worsen in 3 districts - Snapped tracks, eroded banks

Railway tracks damaged by the overflowing Sudhani river near Telta in North Dinajpur district of Bengal

TT, Aug. 16: The flood-like situation has improved in the districts of Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar but has worsened in the two Dinajpurs and Alipurduar.

In the past 24 hours, several new areas have been flooded by the raging rivers and thousands of people have had to be rescued and shifted to shelters and safer places.

The road connectivity between Malda and Raiganj along NH34 has snapped, prompting vehicles to take a circuitous route.

Sources said that since morning, water started flowing over the highway in Kalomati on the outskirts of Raiganj town. "That is why traffic along the stretch had to be stopped," an official said

The Kulik river that skirts Raiganj town has spilled over the banks and breached embankments at some places, causing inundation of several adjoining villages.

Most of the flood-affected residents around Raiganj accused the North Dinajpur administration of not distributing adequate relief materials.

District magistrate Ayesha Rani A. said: "We are distributing relief materials and consistently monitoring the situation. Because of the sudden flood, an order has been issued to keep all educational institutions closed till next Sunday."

Medical teams and volunteers of social organisations have also rushed to the affected areas to provide necessary medicines and relief to the people.

In South Dinajpur, overflowing rivers like the Atrayee, Punarbhaba and Tangan have flooded most of the areas of Balurghat and Gangarampur subdivisions.

"Cracks have developed on a bridge in Bansihari (located on the Raiganj-Balurghat state highway). Also, approach roads of two bridges over the Tangan river have been affected," an official said.

In Alipurduar, the water level of the Kaljani river that flows through the town rose today because of rain in the Bhutan hills.

In Cooch Behar, though the water level has receded in most parts, the situation has become acute in two wards of the town where erosion caused by the Torsha river has gobbled land.