Over 7000 people affected after river embankment collapses in Malda

Flood waters have inundated many villages in West Bengal's Malda District, and left over 7000 people affected.

Media reports said that the collapse of a river embankment in the area has led to the floods, which have buried villages in silt, washed away roads and swept away homes.

The embankment in Malda district's Gajol block broke down on July 14, leading to the flooded waters of the Fulohar River rushing into the villages in the block.

A large number of people were displaced due to the rising level of the flood waters.

The farmers faced the brunt and incurred huge loss as it is being estimated that about 3000-4000 hectares of farmlands have been submerged in the flood waters.

Local officials inspected the damage caused by the collapse of the embankment on July 15 and steps were taken to shift the affected people to safer places.

"We have arranged every relief possible. We have made temporary arrangements in all the places. All the people affected have been shifted to safer places," said Sauvik Mukherjee, the Block Development Officer.

Many of the people's houses have been washed away by the sudden deluge and they have been forced to live in camps built for such victims.

While India has struggled to recover from devastating floods in Uttarakhand, other areas of the country are at risk as heavy monsoon rains inundate already burgeoning rivers, prompting authorities to evacuate tens of thousands of people, aid workers and government officials said.

Floods, triggered by heavier than normal pre-monsoon rains in mid-June, left at least thousand people dead and swept away roads, bridges and buildings in Uttarakhand, a popular Hindu pilgrimage destination in the Himalayas. At least 3,000 people are still missing.

India experiences monsoons from June to September, vital for its agriculture. But the rains frequently affect millions of people, devastating crops and homes and sparking outbreaks of diseases such as diarrhoea and dysentery.