Bengal Chief Minister issues high flood alert for 7 districts, calls urgent meeting to make necessary arrangements

The West Bengal government has issued a flood alert in seven districts due to heavy rains in the upper catchment areas of Jharkhand. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee directed officials to identify flood-hit areas and start evacuating residents if necessary. Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi held a virtual meeting with district officials and police officials of the flood-prone districts of Pasam Burdwan, Bankura, Birbhum, Purba Burdwan, Purba Madanipur, Hooghly and Howrah. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast rain to continue till October 5, with heavy rain expected on October 3.

A well-marked low-pressure area currently resides over Jharkhand, causing continued heavy rains and increased inflow into dams. On October 1, Jharkhand saw more than 50 mm of rain in its upper catchment area, resulting in 60,000 cusecs of water from the Methun Dam and 73,000 cusecs from the Panchet Dam. The release of water downstream from these dams was increased to 1,00,000 cusecs. However, due to unpredictable weather and limited dam capacity, controlled releases may be necessary.

District officials have been directed to provide regular updates, while the weather forecast predicts increased rainfall in West Bengal till October 3. Various districts of West Bengal are braced for heavy to very heavy rainfall, with intermittent rain expected in the next 48 hours. The state government has urged the civic bodies to be prepared for incessant rain.

Police and administrative authorities in seven districts have received the following instructions.

1. Quickly identify areas that are low-lying and flood-prone.

2. Prepare in advance to move people to safer places if necessary.

3. Vigilantly monitor incidents of breaches in waterways and embankments, and take immediate corrective measures. The Executive Engineers of the Irrigation and Waterways Department have been directed to co-operate closely with the District Administration for this purpose.

4. Maintain an ample supply of relief supplies in vulnerable low-lying areas, including items such as sandbags to protect embankments.

5. Provide adequate lighting to aid relief and rescue operations.

6. Report any unusually heavy rainfall in specific areas, as runoff must account for downstream rainfall.

7. Ensure that Integrated Command Centers remain functional in these districts.

First Published: 03 Oct 2023, 09:15 IST