Monsoon river data online - Irrigation department to update information on rain from June

TT, Jalpaiguri, May 25: The state irrigation department will for the first time provide online updates on changing water levels in rivers during the monsoon, a move that will help the block administrations take timely preventive measures in flood-prone areas .

The updates would be available at www.wbiwd.gov.in from the second week of June till September.

"It has been decided that updates on water levels in the rivers across the the state will be provided by our department throughout the monsoon. This will help agriculturists, tea planters and small tea growers and people in general in knowing whether any river has touched or crossed the danger mark in the rainy season," Manas Kumar Bhaduri, the chief engineer (north-east) of the state irrigation department, said today. "We have been conducting trials. The updates will be available from the second week of June."

He added that the information would be updated every two-three hours. "In case of an emergency, data would be updated more frequently."

The updates will help administrative officials of different districts take preventive steps in case of inundation. "They can check the updates and alert officials in the blocks, disaster management teams and other people concerned if required," an official of the irrigation department said.

An administrative official in Jalpaiguri said the data would help shift people to safer places on time. "Many rivers like the Teesta and the Torsha originate in the hills. Even last week, there were reports of sudden inundation in the unprotected areas on the left bank of the Teesta. It happened as there was heavy rainfall in the hills and the Teesta Barrage Project authorities had to release more water. If we have prior information through the website, people in vulnerable areas can be shifted to safer places with their belongings," he said.

Now to get information on water levels, one has to call up the control rooms of the state irrigation department. Once the data are uploaded on the website, the block offices will also have access to those.

The control rooms at the district and state levels open on June 1 every year. "The same thing will happen this year. There are 10 rain gauge stations of our department in north Bengal from where we collect data. There are also employees posted at different locations to check water levels in rivers and give us data. We also collect data from the India Meteorological Department, the central water commission and administrations of neighbouring states and neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bhutan," a source at the irrigation department said.

"From now , all data collected would be collated and put online where people can see updates on water levels, rainfall and weather forecast," he added.

From north Bengal, data on water levels in the Teesta, Torsha, Raidak I and II, Jaldhaka, Mansai, Kaljani, Diana, Mujnai, Sankosh, Mahananda, and Mechi, on the India-Nepal border, would be available on the website, sources said.

Today, a conference on flood relief and disaster management was held at the Trishakti Corps in Sukna. Maj. Gen. Saranjeet Singh, the chief of staff, Trishakti Corps, attended the session and assured all civil and military officials that the armed forces would be ready to respond promptly in case they were called to assist the administration, army sources said.