Flood alert in state after incessant rain in N Bengal

KOLKATA: Continuous rain for the past 48-hours in parts of north Bengal, Sikkim and the Bhutan Hills has raised possibility of flood in many parts of Bengal especially in Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts.
The irrigation department has issued a yellow alert on the Teesta river from Domohoni in Maynaguri to Mekhliganj in Cooch Bihar on Tuesday. Water levels are also on rise making situation worse for the people living in the low lands.Making the situation worse, met office has forecasted heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next 48-hours in the hills which is expected to exacerbate the situation.
Rainfall recorded in Jalpaiguri over the past 24-hours is 129 mm, Gajoldoba – 192 mm, Malbhazar – 117 mm, Banerhat – 335 mm, Neora – 138.5 mm, Nagrakata - 135 mm and Maynaguri – 90 mm.
“Continuous rainfall in the upper catchments has made the rivers originating in Bhutan and Sikkim flow in full spates. There is every chance of parts of Cooch Behar like Mekhliganj, Mathabhanga and Cooch Behar town getting flooded due to the rising water levels in Teesta, Kaljani and Torsa,”said a district official.
“Further rainfall in Bhutan and Sikkim is likely to worsen the matter. There is every possibility of Teesta River, which is already raging, to overflow and submerge the low lying areas if the Hills witness more rainfall,” an irrigation official said.
In the Chapadanga and Basusuba area of Malbazar over 3,000 people have been marooned as water from Teesta River entered those areas. Due to overflowing of the Karala River, parts of Jalpaiguri town went under water.