‘Orange’ alert for South Bengal dists
Kolkata: With the MeT office predicting more rainfall in the next few days, the state secretariat in Nabanna has issued an alert to the districts’ administrations.
Severe rains have caused havoc in many parts of Bengal with reports of severe water logging, electricity disruption, and deaths by electrocution coming from different parts.
Meanwhile, a woman died after getting electrocuted while she was walking along the waterlogged road at Salkia in Howrah on Thursday night.
Sources said the woman identified as Purabi Das (22) was a resident of Tantipara in Salkia. On Thursday around 9 pm, Das was walking along the road to go to the Bandhaghat area to attend an invitation. While she was passing her father’s shop near the home, she came in contact with a live electric wire which had snapped and was hanging.
The father tried to separate her from the wire but he too got electrocuted. Local residents took Das and her father to a private hospital in the Golabari area where the woman was declared brought dead. Her father was admitted at the said hospital. Later, cops along with the CESC personnel rushed to the spot and disconnected the electricity of the area to avoid any more accidents. Police have registered a case of unnatural death and started a probe.
Meanwhile, an orange alert has been issued for North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas, Hooghly, East Burdwan, West Burdwan, Bankura, and Birbhum districts.
Meanwhile, a 22-year-old woman died after being electrocuted near her residence in a waterlogged street in Howrah’s Salkia area.
State government on Friday instructed the District Magistrates (DMs) of various districts to take up precautionary measures in the wake of a prediction of more rainfall. Some of the DMs were asked to keep a close watch on the volume of water discharged from various barrages.
State secretariat at Nabanna will also monitor if the water level in the rivers is going up. Nabanna has also sought a report from the DMs on the water level of various important rivers. The Disaster Management department was also asked to be prepared. The district administrations have been advised to seek help from the Disaster Management department if required.
Crop fields were submerged due to heavy rains in East Burdwan, with vegetable cultivation also getting damaged. Numerous mud houses were crushed due to the constant downpour on Thursday and Friday. Andal Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport saw severe waterlogging at the runway which led to flight disruption. Many parts of Bankura were also submerged due to heavy showers for the past two days. Many parts of Bankura, Mejia, Bishnupur, and Khatra were completely cut off from all communications due to the severe waterlogging in
these areas.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) data said that East Burdwan has received 155.2mm rain on August 2, Bankura received 86.3mm, Paschim Burdwan received 163.4mm. Kolkata received only 87mm
rain on August 2.
