News Analysis India

Tag: Bengal Rains

  • Three killed in rain-related incidents across southern West Bengal

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Three people were killed in rain-related incidents across southern West Bengal, police said on Sunday. Rains accompanied by a squall hit the southern Bengal districts, including Kolkata, on Saturday evening.

    A woman and her son were killed in a lightning strike in Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district, police said. A man died as a bamboo gate collapsed on him in Kharagpur in Paschim Medinipur district, they said.

    Trees were uprooted in several areas as the squall along with rains brought much relief to the people from the scorching heat.

  • Death toll due to rainfall rises to 52 in Uttarakhand; rain fury in Uttar Pradesh, Bengal and Sikkim

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Six more bodies were recovered on Wednesday in rain-battered Uttarakhand, taking the death toll to 52 in the Himalayan state, while Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, and areas of north Bengal were also pounded by torrential rainfall that caused landslides and led to closure of National Highway 10, the main road linking Gangtok with the rest of the country.

    Three people were killed and hundreds marooned as heavy rains lashed Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly and Pilibhit districts over the last two days.

    In Uttarakhand, 17 people were injured and five went missing in rain-related incidents.

    The official count of missing people does not include a trekking team of 11, who left Uttarkashi but did not reach their destination Chitkul in Himachal Pradesh, and three porters who went missing while accompanying an ITBP patrol near the India-China border.

    ALSO READ: Situation still serious in flood-hit Uttarakhand, says Rahul Gandhi

    The Kumaon region of the state, which has been worst affected by the rainfall, also reported cases of 46 houses being damaged.

    With 28 deaths, Nainital alone has accounted for the highest number of fatalities.

    Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami extended his tour of the affected areas of Udham Singh Nagar and Champawat districts in Kumaon to take stock of the situation.

    He travelled by road as his helicopter could not take off from Haldwani due to technical reasons.

    Accompanied by Union Minister of State for Defence and Nainital MP Ajay Bhatt and State Disaster Management Minister Dhan Singh Rawat, Dhami, on board a tractor, crossed vast stretches of marooned fields in Udham Singh Nagar district and assessed the damage to crops.

    ALSO READ: Rain-hit Uttarakhand stares at damages beyond repair

    He also trudged through the streets of Champawat to get a first-hand assessment of the damage inflicted by nearly three days of incessant rains.

    Home Minister Amit Shah is also likely to arrive in the state late on Wednesday night to review the situation.

    He may also undertake an aerial survey of the affected areas on Thursday morning, officials said.

    The weather cleared across Uttarakhand on Wednesday, giving momentum to rescue operations and leading to the partial resumption of the Chardham Yatra, with pilgrims allowed to proceed to Kedarnath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri.

    However, the yatra to Badrinath could not be resumed as the national highway leading to the temple was blocked by landslide at several points.

    ALSO READ: Experts explain what is causing heavy rains that killed dozens in Uttarakhand, Kerala over few days

    Water has receded completely from the streets of Nainital, which was cut off from the rest of the state on Monday, with the Naini lake flooding the roads and landslides choking them at various points.

    Life returned to normal in Nainital on Wednesday morning as tourists were found shopping and taxis plying through the town.

    Electricity and telephone connectivity which had been badly hit in Nainital by incessant rains has been restored.

    Villages on the outskirts of the town are still going without electricity and telephone connectivity.

    Haldwani and Kaladhungi roads have been opened partially to traffic restoring connectivity to Nainital.

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand government to give Rs 4 lakh to kin of those killed in rain-related incidents

    The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said it has rescued over 1,300 people from flood-affected areas of Uttarakhand.

    The federal force has deployed 17 rescue teams in the state.

    Torrential rains pounded the tiny Himalayan state of Sikkim and the tea growing region of North Bengal, causing landslides which cut off National Highway-10.

    Normal life in parts of north Bengal was affected due to heavy showers in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Jalpaiguri districts that triggered landslides, causing damages to roads and bridges, halting or constricting traffic in various places.

    As the downpour continued, 3,800 cusec water was released from Bengal’s Gajaoldoba Teesta Barrage, causing inundation in several parts of the low lying town of Jalpaiguri.

    ALSO READ: Over 300 people rescued from flood-affected Uttarakhand – NDRF

    Water from the overflowing Teesta also submerged National Highway 10 that connects Siliguri with Sikkim’s capital Gangtok at Teesta Bazar area, restricting traffic.

    The Meteorological Department issued a ‘red’ alert for Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Alipurduar, forecasting “extremely heavy rain at one or two places” in these districts till Thursday morning.

    Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rain during the period, it said.

    Several low-lying areas in Jalpaiguri district have been flooded owing to a rise in the water level of Teesta and Jaldhaka rivers.

    People from these areas were being moved to safe places for shelter.

    WATCH VIDEO: River washes away under-construction bridge as rains cause havoc in Uttarakhand

    Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Wednesday visited the flood-affected areas in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur and distributed relief material among the people.

    Instead of an aerial survey, Naqvi undertook a ground survey and even got on a boat to reach far-flung areas inundated due to the massive rains that have wreaked havoc in adjoining Uttarakhand.

    In Uttar Pradesh, around 500 villagers in Pilibhit are trapped in the flood water of the Sharda river.

    A couple in Bareilly’s Faridpur township and a nine-year-old boy in Ram Nagar area were killed after their houses collapsed because of heavy rains.

    The IMD, which had sounded an orange alert (heavy to very heavy rain) for 11 districts of Kerela on Wednesday withdrew it and changed it to yellow predicting ‘moderate rain’ in these areas.

  • More rain in store for Bengal; deluge likely in Darjeeling, Kalimpong

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The Met department on Tuesday said that heavy rainfall is very likely to continue in West Bengal till Thursday morning even as the low-pressure system that developed over the Gangetic Basin in the southern part of the state moved to Bihar.

    The weatherman warned of extremely heavy rainfall over Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Alipurduar till Wednesday morning and downpour till Thursday over all sub-Himalayan districts.

    The Met office has predicted thunderstorm with lightning along with widespread light to moderate rainfall in all districts of the state till Thursday morning.

    Jhalong in Kalimpong district received maximum rainfall in 24 hours till 8.30 am on Tuesday at 200 mm, the Met said.

    Other places which experienced heavy showers during the period are Darjeeling at 170 mm, Pedong and Sukhiapokhri at 150 mm, Canning at 100 mm, Diamond Harbour at 90 mm and Purulia at 80 mm, the Met department said.

    The weatherman has warned of landslides in the hilly areas of Darjeeling and Kalimpong.

    Kolkata received 37 mm rainfall in that time frame.

  • Heavy rainfall likely to lash Bengal, Odisha till October 20

    By PTI

    BHUBANESWAR/KOLKATA: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday said heavy rainfall is likely to occur in West Bengal and Odisha till October 20 due to a low-pressure area formed over north Telangana and strong southeasterly wind from the Bay of Bengal.

    It advised fishermen of the two states not to venture into the sea till Tuesday.

    Under the influence of the low-pressure area, squally weather with surface wind speed reaching 40-50 kilometres per hour gusting to 60 kmph is very likely to prevail over the deep sea areas of North Bay of Bengal till October 19, the IMD said.

    It warned of a rise in water level in rivers, waterlogging in low-lying areas and landslides in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal due to the downpour.

    In Odisha, which is already passing through a wet spell, the state government alerted the district authorities to keep a close watch on the situation.

    Standing crops in fields, with paddy being almost ready for harvest in several districts of West Bengal, could get damaged, said Sanjib Bandopadhyay, Regional Meteorological Centre, Kolkata.

    Some of the southern districts of the state, including Howrah, Hooghly and East Medinipur, have recently experienced floods owing to downpour and overflowing rivers.

    Bandopadhyay said the southern districts of the state were lashed by rain from Sunday, while North Bengal districts will experience enhanced rainfall from Monday.

    Sources in the weather office of Bhubaneswar said rainfall occurred in parts of Sundergarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapada and Jagatsinghpur since Saturday.

    For Monday, the IMD forecast heavy rainfall and thunderstorm in districts such as Sundergarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak and Jajpur.

    The Special Relief Commissioner has directed all district collectors to monitor the situation.

  • MeT department predicts more rainfall in flood-hit West Bengal

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The already grim flood situation in south Bengal is likely to worsen with the MeT department on Wednesday predicting heavy rainfall in the region owing to a cyclonic circulation over the north Bay of Bengal and the presence of an active monsoon trough.

    Several districts, including South 24 Parganas, Howrah, East Midnapore and Hooghly, are reeling under flood woes following heavy rain and subsequent discharge of water from Damodar Valley Corporation dams.

    “Due to a cyclonic circulation over north Bay of Bengal and its adjoining areas and the movement of a monsoon trough from Sriniketan, Diamond Harbour to northeast Bay of Bengal, widespread rainfall activity is likely in the districts of Gangetic West Bengal from August 4 to 6,” regional MeT department director GK Das said.

    He warned of heavy to very heavy rain at one or two places in North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Howrah and Hooghly districts till Thursday morning.

    The MeT department said that heavy rain is expected to occur at one or two places in Kolkata, Bankura, Purulia, Birbhum and Jhargram districts. The downpour is likely to continue in South 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur till Friday morning, and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Bankura and Purulia districts till Saturday morning, it said.

    The weatherman also cautioned against rise in water level of rivers and inundation of low-lying areas in Gangetic West Bengal. At least 15 people died, and over three lakh got displaced after heavy rain over the past few days, followed by release of water from DVC dams flooded large parts of six districts in the state.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned Chief Minister Banerjee earlier in the day to take stock of the flood situation, and assured her of central assistance.

  • Bengal floods: 15 dead, 3 lakh affected; TMC, BJP engage in political slugfest

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: At least 15 people have died, and lakhs of people were rendered homeless or marooned, as the flood situation in six districts of West Bengal aggravated on Tuesday, triggering a slugfest between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP over the release of “excess water” by the DVC.

    Around three lakh people got displaced after heavy rain in the last few days, followed by discharge of water from Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) dams, inundated major parts of the districts of Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Paschim Medinipur, Hooghly, Howrah and South 24 Parganas, officials said.

    The DVC, since July 31, has released 5.43 lakh cusec of water till Tuesday evening.

    Seven people died and 2.5 lakh have been affected by the flood Till Monday.

    Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who keeps a tab on the relief and rescue operations and has sent ministers to the affected areas, is likely to conduct an aerial survey of Howrah and Hooghly districts on Wednesday to take stock of the situation.

    She will later conduct an administrative meeting, officials said.

    “We are collecting the details of all 15 people who have lost their lives due to the flood. Some deaths are due to electrocution, snake bite, wall collapse. We are waiting for a final report from district administrations,” an official said.

    Several areas in the six affected districts are reeling under flood, with people struggling to wade through waist-deep water.

    The districts of Hooghly, Howrah and West Midnapore are among the worst affected due to the floods.

    Around 79,000 people were affected in Hooghly district alone, whereas crops and livestock worth lakhs of rupees were destroyed.

    “Around 345 villages are affected by the floods, and more than 34 thousand hectares of crop area have been damaged. Around 1159 houses have been damaged in the district. We are presently running 89 relief camps,” a Hooghly district official said.

    The situation was worse in Kolkata’s neighbouring Howrah district, where around 1.8 lakh people were affected as 10 gram panchayats were severely affected by the floods.

    “Seven Gram Panchayats are completely under water, and three are partially submerged. The Udaynarayanpur block is the worst affected,” a Howrah district official said.

    Water from the Rupnarayan and the Dwarakeswar rivers have overtopped banks and entered residential areas, flooding homes, the official said.

    State Irrigation Minister Soumen Mahapatra conducted a tour of the Udaynarayanpur block in Howrah district and took stock of the relief and rescue operation.

    The Paschim Medinipur district administration has opened 212 relief camps as areas under 172 gram panchayats and seven municipalities were flooded.

    The link road between towns of Keshpur and Medinipur is under water.

    Over one lakh tarpaulin, 1,000 MT of rice, thousands of drinking water pouches and clean clothes have been sent to the shelters homes, an official stated.

    On Monday, the Army and the Air Force had undertaken rescue operations in Hooghly district, where rivers have overtopped banks and flooded villages.

    The ongoing flood situation triggered a political slugfest between the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP.

    Mahapatra accused the Central government-owned DVC of releasing water and causing a “man-made flood” situation.

    “The DVC deliberately released so much of water that it led to a flood-like situation. The Central government deliberately created this man-made flood situation in Bengal. We condemn such politics,” Mahapatra told reporters after his visit to Howrah.

    BJP state spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya termed the allegations “baseless”.

    “Before making such allegations, the TMC government should know why the water was released.

    There must be a logic behind DVC releasing the water.

    The fact is the state government has failed to conduct relief and rescue operations properly and are now blaming others,” he said.

    The DVC on Saturday said the storage facilities at Panchet and Maithon dams have reached their capacities due to heavy inflow of water from upstream Jharkhand, and discharge under such circumstances was “unavoidable”.

    A DVC official stated that the corporation released 5.43 lakh cusec of water till Tuesday evening since July 31.

    Water discharge is regulated by Damodar Valley Reservoir Regulation Committee, which has a representative from the state government, the official said.

    Teams of NDRF and SDRF, along with the state administration, are involved in the relief and rescue operation.

  • 14 dead, 2.5 lakh displaced as heavy rain, water discharged from dams flood Bengal

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: At least 14 people died due to wall collapse or electrocution and nearly 2.5 lakh got displaced in six districts of West Bengal, where discharge of water from Damodar Valley Corporation dams, followed by heavy rain, has inundated streets and homes, a senior official said.

    The state government has set up shelter homes for those displaced, as relief operations, which began sometime last week, continue in the flood-affected areas, the official said.

    Several areas in Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Paschim Medinipur, Hooghly, Howrah and South 24 Parganas districts are reeling under waist-deep water, with people struggling to meet their basic needs, he said.

    Over one lakh tarpaulin, 1,000 MT of rice, thousands of drinking water pouches and clean clothes have been sent to the shelters homes, he stated.

    “We are collecting the details of all 14 people who have lost their lives due to the flood. We are waiting for a final report from the district administrations,” the official said.

    The Army and the Air Force had on Monday undertaken rescue operations in Hooghly district, where rivers have overtopped banks and flooded villages.

  • At least seven dead, 2.5 lakh affected as heavy rain, water discharged from dams flood Bengal

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: At least seven people have died and nearly 2.5 lakh have been displaced from their homes in six flood-hit districts of West Bengal, a senior state government official said on Monday.

    Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee directed ministers to keep a tab on the rescue operations and see that relief materials reach all affected people, he said.

    The Army and the Air Force on Monday undertook rescue and relief operations in Hooghly district, where many areas have been submerged due to excess rainfall and overflowing of rivers.

    Around 2.5 lakh people have been rescued and moved to shelter homes as a large number of houses were damaged in six districts of south Bengal, where water released from the Damodar Valley Corporation dams (DVC) and heavy rain late last week have inundated streets and hamlets.

    Several areas in Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Paschim Medinipur, Hooghly, Howrah and South 24 Parganas districts are reeling under flood, with people struggling to wade through waist-deep water.

    Seven people have died so far but their details are not available yet, the official said.

    During a Cabinet meeting held at the state secretariat, Banerjee directed ministers to be present at their respective districts and oversee the relief and rescue operations.

    Over one lakh tarpaulin, 1,000 MT of rice, thousands of drinking water pouches and clean clothes have been sent to the rescue shelters for those affected, the official stated.

    “We have not yet estimated the loss incurred due to the flood.

    As of now, our sole priority is to rescue the affected,” he said.

    Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee, who visited the flood-hit areas of Ghatal in Paschim Medinipur district during the day, said he would apprise Banerjee of the situation, and steps would be taken accordingly to tackle the situation.

    “I have witnessed several floods in the past, but the situation is terrible this time. The CM had asked me to look into the matter. After conducting this survey, I will report to her,” Mukherjee said.

    Water from Rupnarayan and Dwarakeswar rivers have overtopped banks and entered residential areas, flooding homes in Hooghly district, the official said.

    “At least one lakh people have been moved to safety in Hooghly district alone after their houses were damaged. There are several others who are still stranded on the roof of their homes or elevated structures,” he said, adding that NDRF personnel are working to rescue them.

    A Defence spokesperson said that helicopters and boats were used in relief and rescue operations in Hooghly district, following a request from the state government.

    Choppers dropped emergency food supplies in the affected areas.

    “Helicopters of Indian Air Force rescued 31 people from rooftops and brought them to safety to Arambagh,” he said.

    One flood-relief column of the Army was deployed at Dhanyaghari in Hooghly, the official said.

    Meanwhile, a DVC official said that water was last discharged from its dams on July 31.

  • Eight killed as heavy rains, thunderstorms batter south Bengal

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Eight people were killed in different parts of West Bengal as thunderstorms and heavy rains battered the southern districts of the state on Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

    Lightning and gusty winds with speed reaching up to 54 km per hour lashed Kolkata, Howrah, North 24 Parganas, Nadia, Murshidabad, Bankura, Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Medinipur, Birbhum and Purulia districts, a Met Department official said.

    In Alipore, 102 mm rainfall was recorded, Dumdum recorded 96 mm rainfall and Saltlake registered 116 mm rainfall, he said.

    The rainfall led to waterlogging in several areas across Kolkata, including the arterial Central Avenue, slowing down traffic during the evening rush hours.

    A man was electrocuted to death while returning home from office through the flooded street outside the North Gate of the Raj Bhavan in central Kolkata, police said.

    The incident happened around 5.30 pm when he tried to get hold of a lamppost as he fell down, they said.

    Firefighters and police rescued the body and sent it for post-mortem.

    “We are trying to ascertain the person’s identity,” an officer said.

    In Birbhum, two persons were killed when a car collided head-on with a dumper at Nanoor amid the blinding rains, officials said.

    A farmer died in a lightning strike in Samserganj in Murshidabad while working in the field, they said.

    A middle-aged woman was killed in a lightning strike in Baksara in the Botanical Garden police station area in Howrah city.

    Her identity is yet to be ascertained, police said.

    In the district’s Baltikuri area, a 28-year-old man, Ashok Biswas, was killed in a lightning strike when he was working in the field with his mother, they said.

    The mother, Reba Biswas, is undergoing treatment at the Howrah Zilla Hospital and was stated to be critical, police said.

    A 29-year-old man was killed in a lightning strike in Naohati village in the Jamalpur police station area of Purba Bardhaman district.

    As rain and thunderstorm began around noon, Sanjay Pramanik went to the field to get his cows that were grazing there, police said.

    While returning, he was struck by lightning and was declared brought dead when taken to the nearby health centre.

    In the district’s Khandoghosh police station area, 20 -year-old Sharif Munshi was killed in a lightning strike when he was working in the field.

    The incident happened in Kunjanagar village, police said.

    In Malda district, hailstorm destroyed crops worth lakhs of rupees, farmers said.

    Jute and Bodo paddy are severely damaged due to the hailstorm, they said.

    Crop damage was reported from Chanchal, Gajole, Habibpur and Bamangola areas of the district, Malda’s Deputy Director of Agriculture Snehasis Kuila said.

    The extent of the damage was being ascertained, he said.