IMD issues rainfall and flash flood warnings for North Bengal districts
Darjeeling: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued heavy rainfall warnings for all the 8 districts of North Bengal for Tuesday and Wednesday. A yellow warning has also been issued for these districts. Along with this, the IMD has also issued a flash flood bulletin for these two days.
“The cyclonic circulation over south Bihar and neighbourhood now lies over North Bangladesh at 0.9 km above mean sea level with a trough aloft roughly along 90 degree E to north of 25 degree N between 1.5 km and 2.1 km above mean sea level. The monsoon trough at mean sea level now passes through Amritsar, Karnal, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Bhagalpur, Malda and thence eastwards towards Manipur,” stated the bulletin.
The forecast for Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, Malda, North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur for Tuesday and Wednesday is “heavy to very heavy rain (7-20 cm) at one or two places very likely. Thunderstorms with lightning likely at one or two places.” Darjeeling and Kalimpong could witness intense rainfall on these two days.
The IMD has also issued a moderate flash flood risk “likely over few watersheds and neighbourhoods over some parts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar on August 8, surface runoff/ inundation may occur at some fully saturated soils and low lying areas.”
Recently, Kalchini and Madarihat blocks of Alipurduar along with Banarhat and Binnaguri in the Jalpaiguri had witnessed flash floods on July 13, causing extensive damage. “We are alert and prepared for any eventuality,” stated Surendra Kumar Meena, district magistrate, Alipurduar.
Rainfall recorded on August 7 by IMD in 24 hours Darjeeling 3.8 mm, Kalimpong 8.4 mm, Pedong 24 mm, Mathabhanga 83 mm, Alipurduar 11.4 mm and Cooch Behar 75.6 mm.
“The new normal in the Hills is days and even weeks of rainfall being dumped in a few hours by thunderstorms, such is the intensity. Drains clogged with water pipes and trash are unable to handle the run off, thus roads turn into gushing rivers causing large-scale erosion. Unless we realise that a well maintained drain system is central to our safety as well as sustainable development activities in the mountains, landslides and disasters will continue to wreak havoc in the urban areas of the Hills,” stated Prafulla Rao of Save the Hills, an expert on landslides.
