Malda, Sept 18: The flood situation in Malda district of North Bengal continued to be grim with the Ganga, flowing 89 cm above the extreme danger level, maintaining its rising trend inundating fresh villages of Kaliachak III Block. Irrigation department sources today said flood water has entered 10 fresh villages under Bedrabad, Sahaban Chak and Tori Anantapur gram panchayats of Kaliachak III Block.

Civil defence boats were pressed into service for rescue operations, the sources said.

The people of the district were facing a twin trouble. Water was entering from Bihar as miscreants had breached an embankment at Golamari area of Katihar area of that state. Besides, water was also coming into the villages from Bangladesh side, the sources said. The Ganga, flowing 83 cm above the extreme danger level yesterday, rose six more cm today while the Phulahar river crossed the extreme danger level yesterday.
A number of marooned people and cattle were rescued from the Duani 'char' and brought to Manikchak.

In Manikchak block, 117 villages were inundated with Mahanandatola, Bilaimari, Pardeonapur, Hiranandapur, Manikchak and Pachanandapur gram panchayats being the worst-hit.

Altogether 1.5 lakh people of the district were affected by the flood while 20,000 more were victims of erosion of the rivers Ganga and Phulahar. Bureau Report