The West Bengal government has issued an alert in the coastal areas of the State and evacuated a few thousand people from islands exposed to Bay of Bengal over fears of fresh inundation due to a high tide on Friday. The embankments which were breached during cyclone Yaas are yet to be fully repaired and the weather office has predicted a low-pressure formation, likely over northwestern Bay of Bengal, resulting in enhanced rainfall activity. Heavy rainfall is predicted on June 11 at one or two places in coastal districts like East Midnapore and South 24 Parganas.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has told officials to keep a vigil in coastal areas as the breach of embankments can submerge low-lying areas for the high tide on Friday. She has also directed that all embankments have to be repaired before Friday. At several places, villagers joined in repairing broken embankments. Minister for Sunderban Development, Bamkim Hazra, has said that about 4,000 people have been evacuated from the islands of Ghormara and Mousuni.
In Kolkata, too, an alert has been issued in areas along the banks of the river Hooghly. The State’s Housing Minister and Chairman of the Board of Administrators of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Firhad Hakim said that the lock gates that connect the drainage system of Kolkata with the river will be closed on Friday.
Cyclone Yaas, which battered the coastal regions of West Bengal on May 26, had led to a large number of areas being inundated. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee visit Hooghly district in the State and met the family members of those killed in lightning strikes.
Eleven people have died in the district and 28 people had died across several districts of south Bengal in lighting strikes on Monday.
