Red and Yellow warnings issued along Teesta

Dibyendu Sinha  |  13 July 2023  :  Several areas in Jalpaiguri district have been inundated by heavy rainfall since Wednesday night. Banarhat and Binnaguri have been flooded by the flash flood of River Hatinala originating from Bhutan. 

The water from Hatinala has caused damage to around 150 houses in Ajay Ghosh Colony, Jyotirmoy Colony of Gayarkata and Telipara tea garden in Banarhat. 

The exact number of people trapped is yet to be determined. District Magistrate Moumita Godara confirmed the opening of flood shelters at seven locations in Banarhat and Nagrakata. 

“Civil defence volunteers are actively involved in rescuing those affected by the floodwaters, while announcements are being made to encourage people to move to safer places. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) will be deployed if necessary, depending on the situation. 

Additionally, all BDOs have been instructed to provide food along with rescue operations, ensuring that efforts are tailored to the evolving situation,” added the DM. 

The flood control department under the district irrigation authority has issued a Red warning in the protected area of the Jaldhaka River, spanning from NH 31 to Mathabhanga. 

Red and Yellow warnings have also been issued for unprotected and protected areas respectively along the Teesta River, from Domhoni in Jalpaiguri in the Bangladesh border area. 

A Red warning has been issued for the unprotected area of the Torsa River in the Dalsingpara region of Alipurduar. Over the past 24 hours, Banarhat received 290 mm of rainfall, Dayna recorded 289.4 mm, Malbazar experienced 113 mm, and Murti saw 188.3 mm and 167.8 mm in Gajoldoba. 

On Thursday afternoon, water from the Dudua River overflowed in the Dhupguri area, leaving many people trapped in the villages of Chamra Gudam, Sonakhali, and Mallikshova. Furthermore, 500 families in Mundapara and Kazipara areas of Gadong Gram Panchayat no. 1 are facing waterlogging. 

In the Madhya Shalbari area of the Banarhat block, the watershed of the Nonai River has eroded, extending 30 meters into the river from Madhya Shalbari to the Mongol Kata State Highway. Several tea gardens have also suffered damage due to heavy rainfall and river flooding. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/red-and-yellow-warnings-issued-along-teesta-525555