West Bengal receives excess rain in September, minister fears flood

With heavy rains lashing the state and Jharkhand and barrages in the two states discharging more water downstream, the state was heading towards another round of floods, state Irrigation Minister Saumen Kumar Mahapatra said on Thursday.

West Bengal received 39 per cent excess rainfall in September while the northern part of the state saw 40 per cent below normal, said the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). Gangetic West Bengal (GWB) received 80 per cent above normal rainfall.

With heavy rains lashing the state and Jharkhand and barrages in the two states discharging more water downstream, the state was heading towards another round of floods, state Irrigation Minister Saumen Kumar Mahapatra said on Thursday.

Howrah, Hooghly, Birbhum and Bankura districts, areas of Purba and Paschim Medinipur districts besides the industrial areas of Asansol and Durgapur in Paschim Barddhaman district are likely to be flooded, he said.

“Weather is likely to improve in south Bengal from tomorrow,” said an IMD official. In north Bengal, rain or thundershowers are “very likely” to occur at many places on Friday on Saturday.

The IMD issued a yellow warning for heavy rain (7 -11 cm) at one or two places in Malda, North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur districts on Friday. An orange warning has been issued for heavy to very heavy rain (7-20 cm) at one or two places in Malda, North Dinajpur and South Dinajpur districts.

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