West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed her concerns about flood-like conditions in the state. Approximately 10,000 individuals have reportedly been rescued and are currently accommodated in 190 relief camps across nine districts in both the southern and northern regions of the state, according to PTI. Despite her ongoing recovery from a leg injury, Banerjee assured that she is personally overseeing the situation continuously from her residence. In a precautionary measure to manage the flood situation effectively, she also announced the cancellation of leaves for several state government officials. West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose is scheduled to visit the flood-affected districts in the northern part of the state on Thursday.
The northern part of West Bengal shares a border with Sikkim, which recently experienced a flash flood in the Teesta River, resulting in at least 10 deaths, numerous injuries, and around 80 people missing. During a meeting to assess the situation, Banerjee directed Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi and Home Secretary BP Gopalika to promptly dispatch a team of senior officials to the flood-affected areas of West Bengal. She stated, “We have already rescued 10,000 people from low-lying areas in the districts. Already SDRF and NDRF teams have been alerted. I will monitor the situation 24/7 from home with a leg injury which may require another week to recover.”
Approximately 5,800 people were evacuated in Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and Cooch Behar districts in the northern part of West Bengal, with an additional 5,018 individuals rescued in Howrah, Hooghly, Paschim Medinipur, Purulia, and Bankura districts in the south, according to a statement from the state government. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has directed Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi to establish a 24-hour control room for people to register complaints due to the flood.
The statement mentioned that the NH-10, connecting Sikkim’s capital Gangtok and Siliguri, the largest city in northern West Bengal, has been completely washed away near the Likhuvir-Setijhora stretch. Repairs will be undertaken urgently when the water recedes in Teesta. Banerjee emphasized the opening of adequate relief camps in the state and urged affected people to move to these shelters. A total of 28 relief camps were set up in the northern part of the state, along with 190 in the south. The chief minister expressed her concern for Kalimpong, Darjeeling, and Jalpaiguri in north Bengal, directing senior ministers and IAS officers to oversee rescue and relief operations in these areas.
Governor CV Ananda Bose, who reached New Delhi from Kochi on Wednesday evening, will return to Kolkata early Thursday morning and then travel directly to north Bengal to assess the flood situation, according to a Raj Bhavan official. Bose had spoken to Governors of neighboring states, including Sikkim, over the phone to better understand the flood situation. He sought details from Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi and inquired about the precautionary measures taken by the state government. Banerjee noted that parts of South 24 Parganas districts, the Sunderbans, and Sagar Island were also affected by the floods. The state government has set up a 24/7 control room at Nabanna (state secretariat) and the Tourism Department, along with integrated control rooms in all districts. The contact numbers provided for the control rooms are (033) 22143526 and 1070 for Nabanna, and 1800-212-1655 & 91-9051888171 for the Tourism Department.