E-Paper
North Bengal rivers in spate; child washed away
A child was washed away at Khaprail in Siliguri sub-division as most of the rivers in North Bengal were in spate on Friday following torrential rains in past three days.
A child was washed away at Khaprail in Siliguri sub-division as most of the rivers in North Bengal were in spate on Friday following torrential rains in past three days.
The swirling rivers also inundated parts of Alipurduar sub-division of Jalpaiguri district and threatened to inundate some areas of Malda causing concern to the administration, official sources said.
At Khaprail area in Siliguri sub-division body of a child was recovered on Thursday, the sources said adding the child might have been swept away by tides of the swollen Rohini. Many low lying areas in the sub-division were submerged, the sources said.
At Domohoni in Jalpaiguri red signal was hoisted as Teesta crossed the danger level. Mansai, Sankosh and Torsha were flowing above danger level in Coochbehar district, while water level of Tangon, Atrayee, Punarbhava in south Dinajpur district was on rise, the sources said.
In Ratua block of Malda district 50 houses were gobbled up by river Fulahar following erosion of its bank on Thursday, the officials said. If the Fulahar changed its course and meet the Ganga in coming days, a few thousand families would be rendered homeless, they said.
At Alipurduar 10,000-15000 people were affected as rivers Liss and Ghis inundated huge tea garden areas in the sub-division, the sources said.
Liss breached its embankment near Washabari tea garden factory changing its course and may advance towards the railway track, the sources said. Sixty families of the tea garden were given shelter at the tea estate's primary school.
Jalpaiguri zilla parishad sent relief materials to the area, Sabhadhipati of the parishad Banamali Roy said. He also asked the Block Development Officer to repair the embankment promising fund would not be a constraint.
The divisional commissioner (Jalpaiguri) Balbir Singh said there was sufficient stock of relief materials. No state government employee would be allowed to take leave except for emergency reasons at present, he said.
In north Dinajpur district, rivers Mahananda, Dauk and Kulik also maintained rising trend, the sources said. The rivers might cross danger levels tonight if the rain did not stop.
