West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee convened a review meeting to assess flood relief operations in the districts of Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, and Jalpaiguri, where heavy rains and swelling rivers have caused significant damage. She listened to detailed reports from district officials on infrastructure destruction, evacuation processes, and relief distribution.
In Alipurduar, officials told the Chief Minister that the Torsha and Rydak rivers had breached embankments at nearly 50 locations, including a particularly devastating 1 km break in Salkumar. Some 16 km of embankments were affected, leading to large-scale damage to nearby settlements. Around 480 homes were impacted, with 96 entirely destroyed. The administration is extending financial aid under the Banglar Bari scheme to those rendered homeless.
In Jalpaiguri, Mamata was informed that a damaged Kalikhola bridge had already been restored, though 51 bridges across local panchayats and district councils remain in disrepair. She asked for a full audit and urged the Public Works Department to commence reconstruction immediately. Concern was also raised about elephant incursions in flood-affected zones; she directed forest officials to deploy additional monitoring staff to prevent human–animal conflict.
In Cooch Behar, relief and document-recovery camps are to be conducted under the Amader Para, Amader Samadhan scheme to help families who lost personal papers during the flood.
Mamata emphasized the urgent need to prevent waterborne diseases, ordering uninterrupted distribution of drinking water pouches and stepped-up medical preparedness in vulnerable areas. She also instructed district magistrates to identify and felicitate frontline workers, BDOs, police, and departmental staff who displayed exceptional commitment during the crisis.
