Overnight rains batter Bengal

Kolkata, July 24 (IANS) Overnight rains battered the eastern metropolis and several districts of West Bengal resulting in a flood-like situation in several areas, officials said on Monday.

Heavy rains were likely to persist during the day owing to the presence of a low pressure area over Gangetic Bengal and adjoining Jharkhand and associated upper air cyclonic circulation.

Over 30 wards in neighbouring Howrah and at least 10 in Kolkata were inundated.

Water level in several rivers in some districts, including West Midnapore's river Shilabati that were flowing above the danger level on Sunday, has started to go down, officials said.

Incessant rains overnight led to water-logging in Burdwan's Asansol, Hooghly's Baidyabati, besides West and East Midnapore, affecting thousands of people.

Fresh alerts were issued to fishermen in East Mindapore.

Kolkata received around 83 mm of rainfall till Monday morning, the Met office said.

Stretches in Garia, Barasat, Chittaranjan Avenue, Ultadanga, Baguiati, Behala were water-logged leading to massive traffic snarls with rickshaws and auto rickshaws refusing to ply.

An ambulance in Baguiati was stuck in the submerged area prompting the patient to resort to an auto ride to reach the hospital.

Civic officials in Behala said they would have to evacuate several families if the water level does not recede. Inhabitants of Behala were seen wading through knee-deep water.

A portion of an old residence in Harish Neogi Road here also collapsed in the downpour. No one was hurt, civic officials said.

In view of the deteriorating situation, control rooms have been set up at the state secretariat Nabanna, and leaves of all officers and employees of the Irrigation Department cancelled till October 31.