Kolkata: Flood situation in West Bengal
continued to be grim with most of the major rivers in spate
following increased discharge from reservoirs of Damodar
Valley Corporation (DVC) and Tilpara and Kangsabati barrages,
as the death toll shot to 36 on Thursday.
State Irrigation Minister Manas Bhuniya said in the
Assembly lobby that several rivers in North and South Bengal
were flowing above the danger mark as further release
from DVC reservoirs threatened to submerge fresh areas.
Red alert was sounded in areas where the rivers were
flowing above the danger level, he said.
An official release said that the death toll had jumped
to 36, which included 21 men and 15 women, and 29 lakh were
affected in 241 blocks and 79 municipalities spread over 14
districts.
DVC`s Maithon and Panchet reservoirs discharged 85,000
cusecs which increased to a massive 1.10 lakh cusecs when
mixed with the release from Durgapur barrage, it said.
45,036 affected people were sheltered in 396 camps, it
added.
There were forecasts of isolated heavy to very heavy
rainfall all over the state till tomorrow, the Met office
said.
Relief materials were being despatched to affected
areas where 449 medical camps had been opened.
Bhunia said that the situation was aggravated in Howrah,
Hooghly, parts of Burdwan and East Midnapur due to massive
discharge from SDVC reservoirs.
"The discharge from the Kangsabati river has
increased three times from 5,000 cusecs to 15,000 cusecs,
threatening to inundate new areas in East Midnapur district,"
he said.
The scenario in north Bengal was also serious with
major rivers swelling following lashing rains in the past
three days.
PTI
