The Hindu : Front Page : Rain throws life out of gear in Kolkata

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 18, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

Rain throws life out of gear in Kolkata

Staff Reporter

More rain forecast in parts of Gangetic West Bengal

20 tribals in Arunachal Pradesh killed in landslips
Over seven lakh people hit hard in Assam

— PHOTO: SUSHANTA PATRONOBISH

A flooded street in Kolkata after heavy rain due to a depression in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday.

Kolkata: Incessant overnight heavy rainfall that continued throughout much of Tuesday submerged several low-lying areas in the city and disrupted normal life.

The rains were attributed to a depression over the Bay of Bengal.

The situation is feared to worsen as the local meteorological department has forecast extremely heavy rainfall in parts of Gangetic West Bengal in the next 24 hours.

Traffic was disrupted as major arterial roads in the city were inundated. Commuters had a tough time wading through knee-deep water, at some places waist-deep, to reach their destinations. Offices and schools showed poor attendance.

Till 5 p.m. on Tuesday, the city experienced 152.6 mm of rainfall. Krishnagar in Nadia district in south Bengal was the worst hit with 25 cm of rains in the same period. Heavy to heavy rainfall is also expected in a few places in the sub-Himalayan region.

Suburban railway services in the Howrah and Sealdah divisions as well as the circular railway services were affected due to waterlogging.Air services remained normal.

Flood of miseries

Iboyaima Laithangbam reports from Imphal:

The monsoon rains in the northeast have brought with them many a problem for the people — shortage of food, medicines and drinking water, and price increase.

Flash floods and landslips occurred, and embankments and highways breached in the eight States. There is fear of an outbreak of water-borne diseases. Carcass of cattle is floating in floodwaters, and the bodies of people who were drowned are yet to be retrieved.

The death toll in the flood-affected Lakhimpur district of Assam is on the rise. Over seven lakh people in 1,000 inundated villages are suffering in the State. Villagers whose houses have submerged are taking shelter on highways.

Considering the gravity of the problem, even the United National Liberation Front of Assam has declared a unilateral ceasefire in the flood-affected areas.

In Arunachal Pradesh, over 20 tribals were buried alive in landslips. Most of the national highways connecting the northeast remain cut off. In the absence of rail lines, the highways are the lifeline of the region.

Prices shoot up

Thanks to the disruption in cargo movement, the prices of essentials have gone up. In Manipur, rice has become costlier by Rs. 4 a kg. Edible oils, vegetables and fruits brought from other States are also dearer. One kg of apple is being sold at Rs.185 and grapes at Rs. 200.

In Nagaland too, where everything is brought by trucks from other States, all essential commodities have become costlier. As the national highways connecting the hilly State of Arunachal Pradesh remain cut off, nothing can be brought in.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page