Kolkata braces for more rainfall

Alert issued to coastal areas; fishermen asked not to venture into sea

Weather woes: Met officials have warned of more rainfall in several parts of Odisha also owing to the atmospheric depression over Gangetic West Bengal.

Several districts of West Bengal received medium to light rainfall on Saturday due to the depression currently centred over the Gangetic West Bengal.

“In the last 24 hours-till 5.30 p.m. on Saturday, Kolkata has received 32 mm of rain. The city is expected to have light rain and generally cloudy sky on Sunday,” an official of the Regional Meteorological Centre said. He also said that monsoon has withdrawn from the State around October 10.

While an alert has been issued to the coastal areas of the State,

an advisory on fishermen not to venture into the sea, which was imposed on Friday

, was extended. Tourists have also been barred from getting into the waters.

The incessant rainfall has caused many rivers in Malda, Murshidabad and Bardhaman districts to flow above the danger level.

Monitoring situation

Officials of the State’s Irrigation Department said that they were monitoring the situation in Bengal and neighbouring States as heavy downpour in Jharkhand may force it to release water from dams which may worsen the situation. The State government has opened a 24-hour control room to monitor the situation in the districts of south Bengal.

However, according to the Regional Meteorological Centre, the situation is likely to improve in the State from Sunday as the depression is moving towards Bangladesh.