Heavy rains lashing West Bengal

Incessant rains lashing West Bengal caused largescale inundation and affected train service with the weatherman forecasting heavy showers in Gangetic areas.

Chief secretary Samar Ghosh said district magistrates in south Bengal had been put on alert in view of the rain forecast in areas which experienced excess rainfall. He said widespread water-logging was reported in Hooghly, West Midnapore and South 24 Parganas districts and the authorities had been asked to keep watch on the condition of the embankments as most of them were old.

Instructions had been issued to repair embankments on an emergency basis as more rainfall might cause breach in embankments and lead to flooding, he said. The authorities in Howrah and Hooghly districts had been alerted against inundation in low-lying areas as Damodar Valley Corporation released 44,000 cusecs during the day, he said.

A control room was set-up at the state secretariat Writers' Buildings and another at the irrigation department headquarters to keep watch on the situation.

In the city the low-lying areas were waterlogged with rains lashing it since Saturday. Regional meteorological centre said more rains are likely in the next 24 hours due to active monsoon.

"The monsoon trough which is now placed over Digha in East Midnapore has strengthened further and the entire state, including Kolkata and its adjacent areas, are expected to experience heavy to very rainfall in the next 24 hours," a met department official said.