Kolkata: Incessant rains inundated vast areas of Bankura town and several low lying areas of the district.
The Alipore Meteorological Office predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in some parts of South Bengal, including Bankura and Birbhum districts.
Soumen Mahaparta, state minister for Irrigation and Waterways said Bankura received 353.7 mm rainfall in 24 hours till 8.30 am on Monday. Three blocks that are affected include Bankura II, Mejia and Gangajalghati. Gunamoy Bhandari (70), a resident of Nagardanga village under Mejia block, got drowned when he tried to go to a safer place.
The district administration has set up relief camps where 610 people have been put up.
Medical teams have reached the affected areas and one lakh water pouches are being sent. Senior officials of PHE, Irrigation and Waterways department and district administration are camping in the area.
It started raining heavily in Bankura in the morning and continued for four hours, resulting in overflowing of the canals and rivers.
This caused inundation of vast areas surrounding Jhunberia.
Two houses situated on the bank of the canal have been washed away.
At Circus maidan, which is an important area in the district, most of the roads are under waist-deep water.
Water has entered in more than a hundred houses and the ground floors are under water.
The residents are scared as venomous snakes have taken shelter in the premises.
The district administration has started evacuating people from the low lying areas.
Locals alleged that there is no proper drainage system, whenever there is heavy rain, the water flows to the low lying areas causing inundation.
Gandeshwari river is flowing above the danger level due to the rain.
River Darakshwari is also flowing above the danger level.The shops that are situated on the bank of river Gandeshwari have been closed and the shopkeepers are carrying the wares to safer places.
Bankura-Durgapur road has been closed du to traffic as water is flowing above the waist. In Birbhum's Murarai many roads have been inundated. Senior officials said the river water is likely to recede on Monday night as the intensity of rain has
come down. There is no prediction of rainfall in the district by the weather office on Tuesday.