Heavy rains: 8-point directive issued to dists, showers to intensify on Wed

Kolkata: The state government has issued an eight-point directive for south Bengal districts and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) in regards to arrangements to avert loss of lives and property amid predictions of heavy rainfall in all south Bengal districts in the next couple of days.

The districts include Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram, Nadia, Murshidabad, Howrah, Hooghly, East and West Midnapore and North and South 24-Parganas.

It has been directed to ensure round-the-clock integrated control rooms at district, sub-division, municipal and Block headquarters. Evacuation of people needs to be done from low-lying areas besides keeping a quick response team ready with medicines, ORS, anti-venom, fodder and tree cutters. Flood and cyclone shelters along with school and college buildings have to be kept ready as per Covid norms to provide shelter to people residing in low-lying areas.

In urban areas, the pumping stations have to be kept ready to avoid waterlogging and proper inspection of street lights, insulation of distribution boxes and poles should be done to avoid incidents of electrocution.

Directions have been given to evacuate residents of dilapidated houses. There are around 100 dilapidated and 3,000 severely dilapidated houses in Kolkata. It has also been directed that there should be proper coordination with Nabanna in respect to the increase in water-level in river Hooghly and opening and closing of lock gates.

Moreover, with natural calamities constantly affecting different parts of the state, the Bengal government has decided to increase the stock of tarpaulin to ensure that all affected person receive the same at the time of emergency.

Sources said that the state Disaster Management and Civil Defence department had distributed over 22 lakh tarpaulins last year. With natural calamities hitting the state repeatedly this year, the state government has already stocked at least 16 lakh tarpaulins and steps have also been taken to stock another 10 lakh. "This year requirement of the number of tarpaulins has gone up. It is an exception that this year initiative has to be taken in the middle of a year to ensure the availability of an adequate number of tarpaulins. The number would go up by at least another 4 lakh compared to that of the previous few years," said a senior state government official.

Tarpaulin is the first relief material that needs to be distributed in case of any natural calamity as it is needed to make temporary shelters for the people when their houses get damaged or is underwater.

It needs mention that super cyclone Yaas in June caused heavy destruction in south Bengal districts mainly East Midnapore, North and South 24-Parganas.

Again, the south Bengal districts including major parts of West Midnapore, Howrah and Hooghly faced floods that led to damage of property worth Rs 10,000 crore and claimed around 17 lives. Around 15 lakh people were affected with different parts of the same districts getting inundated due to incessant rainfall since September 14.

A low pressure trough has already formed over Myanmar which will reach Bengal coast in the next 24 hours bringing heavy rainfall in the districts like East Midnapore, West Midnapore, South 24-Parganas. The intensity of rainfall in the coastal districts and also the western parts of the state will increase on Wednesday. Kolkata, North 24-Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly will also receive moderate rainfall on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The districts like Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram and other districts may also receive heavy rainfall in the next 48 hours. It will slightly intensify on Wednesday said the weather department.

Meanwhile, the body of Abhradip Acharya (23) who drowned in the sea near Talshari in Odisha on Sunday was recovered within 24 hours while while his friend Dibas Singh is still missing. They were from Madhyamgram in North 24-Parganas. Both of them went to bathe in the sea at Talshari beach on Sunday when they drowned. They were among a team of 8 members that went to Talsari amidst the alert of cyclone 'Gulab'. The cyclone has already lost it's strength. A fresh low pressure which is situated over Myanmar will move towards Bengal coast and turn into another depression.

An yellow alert has been issued along the coasts of Digha. The visitors have been directed to leave the hotels within Monday.