Bengal CM Issues High Flood Alert For 7 Districts, Conducted Immediate Meeting To Make Necessary Arrangements

The West Bengal Government has issued a flood alert in seven districts due to ongoing heavy rainfall in Jharkhand's upper catchment areas. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee instructed officials to identify flood-prone areas and begin evacuating residents if necessary. Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi held a virtual meeting with district authorities and police officials from Paschim Burdwan, Bankura, Birbhum, Purba Burdwan, Purba Medinipur, Hooghly, and Howrah, the districts under the flood alert. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted continued rainfall until October 5, with heavy rainfall expected on October 3.

A well-marked low-pressure area currently lingers over Jharkhand, causing ongoing heavy rainfall and increased inflow into dams. On October 1, Jharkhand saw over 50 mm of rainfall in its upper catchment area, resulting in Maithon Dam receiving 60,000 cusecs and Panchet Dam getting 73,000 cusecs. The release from these dams downstream was raised to 1,00,000 cusecs. However, due to weather predictions and limited dam capacity, controlled releases may be necessary. 

District authorities have been instructed to provide regular updates, while the weather forecast anticipates enhanced rainfall in West Bengal until October 3. Various West Bengal districts are bracing for heavy to very heavy rainfall, and intermittent rain is expected over the next 48 hours. The state government has urged civic bodies to prepare for continuous rain.

Police and Administrative Officials in the seven districts have received the following directives:

1. Quickly identify areas that are low-lying and prone to flooding.

2. Prepare in advance for evacuating people to safer locations if necessary.

3. Vigilantly monitor instances of water-logging and breaches in embankments, and take prompt corrective actions. Executive Engineers from the Irrigation and Waterways Department are instructed to collaborate closely with the district administration for this purpose.

4. Maintain an ample supply of relief materials, including items like sandbags for embankment protection, in vulnerable low-lying areas.

5. Arrange for suitable lighting to support relief and rescue operations.

6. Report any instances of unusually heavy rainfall in specific areas, as the release of water needs to account for precipitation downstream.

7. Ensure that Integrated Command Centres remain operational in these districts.