With a flood-like situation in certain parts of north Bengal, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said that she was sending a high-level team to the region.
The CM tweeted: “Sending a high- level disaster management team tomorrow to flood- hit North Bengal under my Irrigation Minister [Partha Bhowmick] and including Secretaries of Disaster Management, Irrigation and Agriculture. North Bengal districts have received heavy rainfall, rivers have swollen, roads have been disrupted, properties have been damaged, people have been marooned.”
On July 13, Jalpaiguri district received heavy rainfall of about 132 mm, the highest in this season. Several rivers, including the Teesta, Torsa and Kaljani, have swelled, and water has entered parts of the Jalpaiguri municipality, leaving several areas water-logged. Several areas of Alipurduar district are also waterlogged.
“DMs [District Magistrates] and SPs [Superintendents of Police] are doing relief and rescue works on war footing with help of NDRF and SDRF. I have been monitoring personally and instructed my CS [Chief Secretary H.K. Dwivedi] to supervise the field situation round the clock. No stone will be left unturned,” Ms. Banerjee said on social media.
On July 13, about 72 villagers, including 24 children, were evacuated to safety and were provided basic first aid by the Trishakti Corps of the Indian Army.
“Responding promptly to requisition by civil administration, troops of #KripanDivision #TrishaktiCorps came to rescue of inhabitants of Mechpara village near Hashimara, where villagers were stranded inside village due to floods,” a tweet from Trishakti Corps said.
The Regional Meteorological Centre has predicted rainfall in almost all districts of north Bengal on Sunday, and in most of the districts on Monday.
