Govt issues alert to control heavy rain

Kolkata, Oct 26 (UNI) The West Bengal government is taking emergency measures to take control of the untimely rain that paralysed life in various districts since yesterday.

State Finance Minister Asim Das Gupta told newspersons in the Writers' Building, the district administration of East Midnapore, West Midnapore, South and North 24 Parganas have been alerted and advised to take all required measures to prevent the situation from worsening further.

Mr Dasgupta, who discussed the situation with Chief Minister Budhadeb Bhattacharjee during the day, said control rooms were being set up to monitor the situation in the rain ravaged places on a war footing.

He informed that reliefs, including food and medicines were being stored to send the rain affected district, adding the state government was ready to face any eventuality.

Mr Dasgupta said the Haldia Port Authority has also been instructed to keep a vigil on the weather situation and paramilitary forces were asked to get ready to go to the flood-stricken areas, if required.

He also informed that the fishermen were asked not to venture into the sea.

Meanwhile, the local Met office forecast a heavy to very heavy rainfall across the state and a cyclone like situation during the next 24 hours. The Met office, however, predicted that the weather might improve on October 28, the Dipawali day.

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