Administrative officials and police visit flood-hit areas of South Dinajpur

BALURGHAT: High ranked district administrative and police officials visited different flood-hit areas, talked to the affected inhabitants and handed over some relief materials and dry food to them on Monday.

District Magistrate Nikhil Nirmal inspected the flood-hit areas of Tapan to oversee the overall flood preparedness there. He was accompanied by Additional District Magistrate (LR) Pranab Kumar Ghosh, Officer-in-Charge (Confidential) Mahadyuti Adhikary, Block Development Officer of Tapan Masud Karim Sheikh and Sabhapati of Tapan Panchayat Samiti Raju Das.

Notably the irrigation department has initiated measures to repair the damaged embankments following the river spate. The restoration work has completed in Bajrapukur embankment and the restoration will start for Jadavbati after water recedes. The similar restoration is ongoing for Mohonipara. Dhakdhol embankment which was vulnerable has already been repaired, it is learnt.

Nirmal had instructed the BDOs to ensure physical distancing and mask usage at the relief centres.

According to a source, Atreyee has crossed the danger level and is still showing the rising trend. Punarbhaba has crossed extreme danger level but it shows a steady trend while Tangan has also crossed extreme danger level and shows rising trend like Atreyee.

In another development, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Malda Range) Prasun Banerjee and Superintendent of Police Debarshi Dutta inspected the flood-affected areas of Chakvrigu, Akhirapara and Beline on the same day with a boat and distributed food and relief materials to them.

A large portion of the three areas has been inundated.

Speaking to the media persons, SP Debarshi Dutta said: "We have visited Chakvrigu and evacuated 50 families on Sunday and arranged food for them. Some other families were shifted on Monday."

DIG Prasun Banerjee said: "We are conducting on the spot assessment and initiating relief measures by inspecting flood-hit areas of Chakvrigu. We will initiate the same measures for Gangarampur and Buniadpur soon."

It may be mentioned that around 1,686 people were already shifted to 36 relief camps in the district.