Irrigation minister to visit rain-affected areas of Bankura

Kolkata: Soumen Mahapatra, state minister for Irrigation and Waterways, will visit the rain affected areas of Bankura on Wednesday to take stock of the situation.

He will meet senior officials of the department and discuss about the future plans that will be taken to improve the drainage system in the low lying areas.

Meanwhile, the Alipore Meteorological Office on Tuesday predicted heavy rainfall in the districts of Bankura, Purulia, West Midnapore, Jhargram and Birbhum on Wednesday.

There is likely to be moderate rainfall in North 24-Parganas and Nadia, while in Kolkata and its adjoining area, the rainfall is likely to be scattered.

The water from the rain-affected areas in Bankura receded. The Fire and Emergency Services officials on Tuesday extricated the utensils and other wares from the two-storeyed building that got washed away due to incessant rains on Monday. No one was injured in the incident.

Water also began to recede from the areas

surrounding Satighat.

The people, who had been brought to the camps, are returning homes since Tuesday evening. Ramakrishna Math Bankura, distributed dry food among the affected people, along with water pouches and water purifying drops.

CPI(M)'s faulty policy allowing hectic construction of houses on the embankment of Gandeshwari river has led to the disaster in which two houses had already washed away.

During the 34 years of CPI(M) rule, Gandeshwari river has not been dredged even for once.

Moreover, Bankura Municipality, which was under the control of CPI(M) till recently, had allowed construction of buildings on the embankment.

When it rained heavily from Sunday to Monday afternoon in Bankura, receiving 404 mm rainfall, the canal overflew causing massive waterlogging on the streets. Locals alleged that the construction of the bridge at Satighat, which was constructed during the Left Front regime, is also faulty and the water could not pass because of it.

The state government has decided to dismantle the bridge and construct a new one. Rampant use of plastic also clogged the sewerage line which also contributed to massive waterlogging. Two boats had to be deployed to ferry people to safer places.

The district administration continued to distribute water pouches in the areas from where water has receded to prevent spread of

enteric diseases.

Meanwhile, fresh rain inundated several roads in Ghatal in West Midnapore. People have been taken to safer places as heavy rainfall has been predicted in the next 24 hours.