Flood-like situation: Two dead; ten officials being sent to various dists

Pradip Chatterjee, MP, 18 Sept 2024, Kolkata: Two persons have died as the flood-like situation in several districts in the southern part of Bengal remained grim on Tuesday, following heavy rain and consequent rise in water discharge from barrages within a short period. 

While one person died due to wall collapse following rain in East Burdwan district, another died of electrocution in Hooghly district since Monday. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already given necessary instructions to Chief Secretary Manoj Pant to combat the situation and 10 senior officials on the ranks of principal secretaries/secretaries of various departments are being sent to various south Bengal districts to assess the situation. 

“Flood-like situations may occur in the lower Damodar basin due to huge water discharge by DVC from Maithon and Panchet dams and Durgapur barrage. 

The Chief Minister has also issued instructions to the DMs to take the people in the low-lying areas to flood shelters. Concerned departments and officials have been asked to be prepared to combat any disaster. It was said that an adequate amount of food and relief materials have to be stocked,” said Alapan Banerjee, Chief Advisor to the Chief Minister. 

Banerjee also said that Principal secretary, MSME would be sent to Howrah to assess the situation while Principal secretary Housing would be going to Birbhum. Principal secretary Public Health Engineering would be going to West Midnapore and Principal Secretary Agriculture to Hooghly. 

Principal Secretary Food would be going to East Midnapore while Transport secretary would be sent to Jhargram. 

A Labour dept secretary would be sent to Bankura. “An Industry department secretary would be going to Purulia while Backward classes welfare dept secretary would be sent to West Burdwan. 

A Panchayat department secretary would be sent to East Burdwan,” Banerjee added. Gangetic Bengal received heavy rainfall in the past couple of days under the influence of cyclonic circulation and a deep depression. 

As a result, Bankura, Birbhum, South 24-Parganas, North 24-Parganas, Hooghly, Howrah, Jhargram, East Midnapore, West Midnapore and West Burdwan have been affected. 

According to the state government, Baghmundi in Purulia received 134.20 mm of rainfall while Bhairabbanki Barrage in Bankura received 90.4 mm, Mukutmanipur 90.6 mm, Kharidwar in Purulia 106.4 mm, Gopiballavpur in Jhargram 90 mm. Rivers which are flowing above extreme danger level are River Rupnarayan, Dwarakeswar, Shilabati , Kaliaghai, Old Cossye, New Cossye, Kalapaleswari, Durbachati. Till 9 am Durgapur Barrage released 1,33,750 Cusec water, Kangsabati Dam 40,000 Cusec, release advice from Central Water Commission for Maithon Dam 2,00,000 Cusec and Panchet Dam 50,000 Cusec, state government data said. 

Several parts of Birbhum, Bankura, Howrah, Hooghly, North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas, West Midnapore, East Midnapore, West Burdwan are inundated. Integrated Control room is operational in districts at 24X7 basis. 

More than 46000 tarpaulins have been distributed while additional 1.5 lakh tarpaulins have been allotted to the affected districts. Two casualties have been reported from September 16-17. One died due to wall collapse in East Burdwan while another died due to electrocution in Hooghly. 

Meanwhile, the Damodar Valley Corporation said it was releasing 90,000 cusecs of water from Panchet and Maithon dams at 11.30 pm on Monday. The release of water increased to 2.1 lakh cusecs by 6.54 am on Tuesday, marking a significant increase in only seven hours. 

The discharge further escalated to 2.5 lakh cusecs by 8.31 am, with a rise of 40,000 cusecs in just one-and-a-half hours, DVC officials said. 

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Monday night expressed concerns over the situation, warning of a potential flood-like situation in at least seven districts downstream due to release of water from dams in neighbouring Jharkhand. Banerjee had called the Jharkhand Chief Minister three times, urging him to regulate the release of water, she had said. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/flood-like-situation-two-dead-tenofficials-being-sent-to-various-dists-580033