Overnight rains batter Kolkata

Heavy overnight rains that lashed the Southern and Western districts of Bengal have left various rivers swelling and many stretches in the city have also been inundated. Regional Meteorological Centre at Alipore on Sunday predicted rain in Southern and Western districts in the next two days.

However, the state government has ruled out any immediate flood threat. It has already issued directives to various districts, especially the coastal areas. Districts like East and West Midnapore have been put on high alert. Warning has also been issued in Digha and fishermen have been asked not to venture into the sea. The situation may further complicate as the regional MeT department has predicted more rain in the next two days. The sky at various parts of South Bengal districts will be overcast till Monday. Several parts of the city have received moderate to heavy overnight rainfall. The drainage department workers of the KMC and senior engineers have been working at various pumping stations to discharge the accumulated water as fast as possible.

A senior official of the KMC's drainage department said in some parts, gully pits have been blocked by substances and plastics as a result of which there have been issues in discharging the accumulated rain water.

Normal life has been disrupted in areas like Bankura, Birbhum, East and west Midnapore. The disaster management team in the districts have been put on alert. The sea has also become turbulent at Digha, Mandarmani and Sankarpur. The district administration has asked tourists not to take a bath in the sea. Fishing trawlers which are in the sea have been asked to return as it could turn dangerous. Some rivers are flowing near the danger mark.

Several villages at Suri Block II got flooded due to incessant rain and the rivers are flowing across the danger mark. A student was swept away in Bakreswar river after it got flooded due to heavy rain. Some parts of the Hooghly and West Midnapore also got flooded due to prolonged rain. Various parts of Ghatal, Khirpai, Chandrakona also went under water.

It has been learnt that the DVC had released 18,000 cusec water from Panchet and 14,000 cusec water has been released from Hinglo dam at Khoirasol and 8,000 cusec from Tilpara barrage. The state Irrigation department has been closely monitoring the situation.

Heavy rains were reported from Howrah, Hooghly, West and East Midnapore along with other parts of Birbhum, Purulia and Bankura districts, besides Kolkata.

Various parts of the city remained inundated on Sunday morning due to incessant rain.

According to a senior official of the Regional Meteorological Centre at Alipore, the Monsoon trough is passing through southern and western districts of Bengal and as a result isolated places in the region are likely to receive heavy rains in the next three days.