Civil defense and NDRF members have rescued 12 trapped people from Tamla rivulet, flight services have been disrupted at Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport, national highways 19 has been inundated and hundreds of people have been marooned in Asansol and Durgapur due to incessant rain in the past two days at West Burdwan district.
Most of the rivulets, Upper Keshia Dam in Rupnarayanpur, Nunia, Garui and Tamla rivulet has been flowing above the danger level, most of these tributaries of Damodar river have lost its water storage capacities due to siltation and illegal encroachments over the years.
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Not only the village areas have been inundated but places like Railpar in Asansol, Burnpur, Chittaranjan, Rupnarayanpur, Durgapur are also inundated. A mud house has also collapsed near Durgapur injuring two people.
Anindita Mukherjee, chairperson of board of administrators of Durgapur Municipal Corporation said that the civic body, police and civil defense officials are working together to rescue the marooned people due to waterlogging in Durgapur.
Wasimul Haque, deputy mayor of Asansol Municipal Corporation said that civil defense and disaster management officials have been rescuing the marooned people.
“We have put all the staff doing essential services, under Asansol Municipal Corporation, on high alert as the water level rises in several parts,” said Wasimul Haque.
Councillors of AMC have been sent to various marooned areas in Barakar and Kulti. People have been rescued and shifted to safer areas.
The district magistrate of West Burdwan, S Ponnambalam and commissioner of Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate are monitoring the flood situation of the district and giving necessary instructions. The civil defence, police and disaster management wings have been kept on alert.
Former mayor of Asansol and BJP leader, Jitendra Tiwari has posted in his official X-handle that the people of Asansol are suffering as the Garui river has lost its water-bearing capacity. “I have alerted the civic body several times before the monsoon season to desilt Garui rivulet but no action has taken place so far leading to such disaster in Asansol town,” he alleged.
The water level is flowing high, below the railway bridge in Sen Raleigh Road, making it difficult for the two wheelers and three wheelers to pass. In Raniganj, Pandaveswar and Jamuria, several parts are under water, as is in Kanksha, near Durgapur. People living in the low-land area are marooned due to inundation of Singar rivulet in Andal.
Even in the national highway 19, connecting New Delhi with Kolkata, the water is flowing through the highways. The special vans of Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate have been deployed at critical areas where water is flowing at very high level.
From last night till today 8.30 am, the rainfall in West Burdwan district has been 16 millimetres and it’s still raining heavily. There is also an alert of high rainfall for today.
The situation might become worse downstream, once Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) starts discharging water from its Maithon, Panchet, Tilaiya dams. Around 20,625 cusecs of water has been discharged from Durgapur Barrage till today afternoon.
Due to unprecedented rainfall recorded in and around Asansol – Durgapur region since yesterday, both Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport and surrounding areas have experienced significant waterlogging.
The situation has further aggravated owing to a breach of water reservoir in the upper stream, due to flooding at the airport, on account of inclement weather conditions, flight operations have been temporarily suspended, authorities informed.
“The airline operator (indiGo) has taken steps to inform the passengers regarding the cancellation of today’s flight well in advance. The current situation is being monitored by the company, district authorities and local bodies and steps are being taken by all for early resumption of the airport operations,” added Kailash Mondal, director of KNI Airport in Andal.
