Normal life affected as heavy rain inundates low-lying areas of 3 north Bengal districts

PTI, JALPAIGURI, JUNE 25/--/ Low-lying areas of three districts in the northern part of West Bengal - Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Coochbehar -have been inundated following incessant rainfall over the past few days, officials said Saturday. Bhasu Subba and Champadanga in Mal Block and areas such as Dhupguri, Moinaguri, and Sukanta Nagar in Jalpaiguri district are reeling under a flood-like situation, they said. 

Meanwhile, the Teesta river's Gajoldoba barrage has been releasing water every hour due to heavy rainfall in Bhutan and Dooars region. The barrage has released 1802.82 cumec water at 1 pm on Saturday, the Assistant Engineer of the Irrigation Department, in Jalpaiguri, Tanai Talukdar said. The Jalpaiguri district administration and the town's Municipality have started distributing relief materials to the affected people of the low-lying areas. 

The Vice-Chairman of Jalpaiguri Municipality, Saikat Chatterjee, said relief materials such as rice, dal, biscuits, drinking water, and medicines have been distributed among people of various low-lying areas in the district, including the Jalpaiguri Sadar area. In Alipuarduar town, water from rivers Kaljani and Sankosh entered the homes of people after the water level in the rivers increased following which they headed towards safer places. Two stretches in the Falakata state highway and Falakata-Dhupguri highway were washed away and repair work has been completed. 

Alipuarduar district received 2,366 mm of rainfall, and Cooch Behar received 2,233 mm of rainfall from 8 pm on Friday till 8 am on Saturday, officials said. Rice, dal, water, and medicines have been distributed to the affected people in various areas. In addition, dry food was also distributed in some places. In Alipurduar district alone, about 2,000 people living in low-lying areas had to be moved to safer places. The IMD has forecast heavy rainfall during the next five days in Alipurduar and Coochbehar, while the other districts are likely to experience thunderstorms during the next two days and heavy rain thereafter.