Flood situation worsens in West Bengal

Kolkata: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday expressed her concern over the flood situation worsening in North Bengal. In the evening she tweeted, “We are concerned about the flood situation across the country. Earlier floods had affected south Bengal. Now north Bengal also affected.”

She later added, “We are monitoring the situation 24X7 for relief and rescue operations.” To tackle the flood situation the chief minister is taking updated from the administration and her cabinet ministers round the clock, according to sources adding that she is also giving necessary instructions to the officials.

Training guns on the Centre parliamentary affairs minister Partha Chatterjee meanwhile wondered why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not enquired about the flood situation in the state unlike he did for other states. “We expected that the PM would want to know about the flood situation in our state like he did in cases others. But he remains silent,” he said referring to Mr Modi’s intervention in tackling the flood in Assam and Bihar.

West Bengal government sources said that all major rivers in north Bengal were flowing above their danger marks. In Malda district, Phulahar river has crossed its danger level, while 20 villages, mostly under Harischandrapur Block-II and Ratua block, were inundated. The situation was similar at Bhutni Island in the district, while erosion was taking place at Pardeonapur village near Farakka.

More than a dozen trains, bound for North Bengal from the city, were cancelled for the second consecutive day due to the flood in the districts there. The cancellation of 14 trains on Monday cut off links between North Bengal and South Bengal as the railway tracks were submerged in water in many parts. Railway link is one of the quickest modes of transportation between the two parts of the state.

On Monday the Eastern Railway (ER) informed that 25657 UP Sealdah-Silchar Kanchanjungha Express, 12041 UP Howrah-New Jalpaiguri Shatabdi Express, 12042 Dn New  Jalpaiguri- Howrah Shatabdi Express, 12510 Dn Guwahati-Bangaluru Cantt Express, 15620 Dn Kamakhya-Gaya Express and 12346 Dn Guwahati-Howrah Saraighat Express stood cancelled.

Meanwhile the other eight cancelled trains were the 12345 Up Howrah-Guwahati Saraighat Express, 13141 Up Sealdah-New Alipurduar Teesta Torsa Express, 15959 Up Howrah-Dibrugarh Kamrup Express, 13147 Up Sealdah-New Cooch Behar Uttarbanga Express, 13149 Up Sealdah-Alipurduar Kanchankanya Express, 12343 Up Seldah-New Jalpaiguri Darjeeling Mail, 12377 Up Sealdah-New Alipurduar Padatik Express and 13145 Up Kolkata-Radhikapur Express.

The ER added that five more trains would stand cancelled on Tuesday. They are 12041 Up Howrah-New Jalpaiguri Shatabdi Express from Howrah, 12363 Up Kolkata-Haldibari Inter-city Express from Kolkata station, 13063 Up Howrah-Balurghat Express from Howrah, 13161 Up Kolkata – Balurghat Express from Kolkata station, 15657 Up Sealdah-Guwahat Kanchanjungha Express from Sealdah.

Meanwhile, 13159 Up Kolkata-Jogbani Express that left the Kolkata station on Monday evening was short terminated at Simraha and remained canceled between Simraha and Jogbani. On Sunday, as many as nine North Bengal-bound trains from Kolkata were cancelled while several others have been short-terminated due to flood.