Rain triggers floods and landslides
19 June 2011
statesman news service
MIDNAPORE/TAMLUK, 19 JUNE: Incessant rain coupled with strong winds triggered by the deep depression in the Bay of Bengal continued to wreak havoc in both West and East Midnapore today disrupting life.
The Kanshabati river, which breached its embankment near Maratala in Debra, flooded at least seven villages today. Villagers in this area suspect that if the rain continues for a few more days, hundreds of villages will be flooded and crops on thousands of hectares will be destroyed.
A wooden bridge over the Silabati river at Kalmijhora in Chandrakona, that was broken due to the impact of the swelling river water, floated away to the nearby Silabati bridge and it got stuck. “If the wooden bridge continues to strike the Silabati bridge, it will also be broken and several villages in Chandrakona will be flooded,” a senior executive engineer of irrigation department said, adding that the block officials have rushed to the place and they are trying to lift the broken bridge from the river.
Mr Ashok Saha, sub-divisional officer, Ghatal, said: “Several hundreds of mud houses have been damaged but no major loss has been reported so far. We have already distributed tarpaulin sheets to the victims.”
Meanwhile, road communication between Jhargram and Chilkigarh has been cut off as the Dulung river is overflowing since last night. Locals, who had put up a road-block at Chilkigarh a few days ago with a demand that a bridge across the river be constructed, renewed their agitation today demanding immediate construction of the bridge. “Several thousands of mud-houses in Jhargram sub-divisions have been partially or fully damaged due to heavy showers. Our block officials are now busy in collecting information and until they submit reports, we cannot state the exact losses,” said the sub-divisional officer in Jhargram.
In East Midnapore, no fresh damage has been reported but the situation is alarming because thousands of hectares of land have been inundated and hundreds of thatched houses of fishermen badly damaged.
“Over a thousand houses at different villages across the district have also been damaged. Tidal surges, whipped up by the lunar eclipse and depression, have snapped ferry services at many places,” said Mr Mamud Hossain, saha-sabhadhipati of the zilla parishad.
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