West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spent the whole Sunday night in office trying to assess the massive flood situation caused in her state due to the after-effects of Cyclone Komen, which has mainly affected Bangladesh.
At least 100 people have died in the country due to floods – 48 of them in Bengal alone. Odisha and Manipur have also been affected severely by Cyclone Komen’s after-effects.
In Bengal, more than two lakh people are in relief camps across 12 districts in the state. Over 21 lakh hectare of farmland has been submerged.
In neighbouring Odisha too, the rains have wreaked havoc causing huge damages in several villages with Balasore being the worst affected. There are reports of at least five people being killed up until now.
CM Banerjee is expected to visit the North 24 Parganas district later on Monday. Claiming Jharkhand and Damodar Valley Corporation (DMC) was still releasing water from its dams, the CM said, “DVC is doing business in Bengal. We love them but they can drown Bengal.”
With unceasing rains in parts of Jharkhand’s Giridih and Chatra districts too, many low-lying areas have been inundated.
In Manipur, where at least one lakh people have been affected, the government is closely monitoring the situation after a new rain alert by the weather department. Reports of 21 people having died from a landslide in the state had arrived only two days ago.
Elsewhere in northeast, Mizoram too remained affected by the heavy downpour. Water in Chhimtuipui (Kaladan) river was at dangerous level on Saturday due to incessant rains but the locals say the situation was safe now.