The administrations in five sub-Himalayan districts of north Bengal have opened control rooms right from the block level to keep tabs on the rivers which flow down from the hills of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Bhutan, keeping in mind the recent flash flood that claimed eight lives in Mal river at Malbazar.

According to sources, each of these control rooms will remain open round the clock till October 31 that is, till the completion of immersion of Kali idols and the Chhat Puja.

“A number of restrictions have been imposed and new arrangements have been made in the rivers and on the river banks to avert any mishap during the immersion and during Chhat Puja, when devotees take a dip for certain rituals. Added to it, control rooms have been opened in different tiers, right up to the block level, to monitor the situation and also take immediate steps if any help is necessary in any location,” said Moumita Godara Basu, the district magistrate of Jalpaiguri.

Sources said along with Jalpaiguri district, such control rooms had been opened in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts.

For example, in Jalpaiguri, control rooms have been opened at the district magistrate’s office, in the offices of the SDOs of Sadar and Malbazar an in the block offices of Sadar, Maynaguri, Malbazar, Kranti, Nagrakata, Dhupguri and Rajganj.

“In a similar manner, control rooms will function till the last day of this month in a number of other blocks of the other four districts. Altogether, around 30 such control rooms have been opened at the block level in these districts,” said a source.

In each block office, two officers of the block concerned, a junior engineer of the state irrigation department, representatives of the disaster management department and two civil defence volunteers are present at any time during these days.

“Helmets, stretchers, life jackets, rubber rings and ropes which can help in rescuing people from getting swept away and search lights have been kept in each of these blocks offices. The idea is to monitor the rivers and simultaneously, take prompt actions in case of any emergency,” the source added.

According to the plan, the districts will be in touch with each other and in case there is any rainfall or rise in water levels in any river, the information would be shared to all.

“There is a chance of rainfall due to a cyclone which has formed in the Bay of Bengal. If it rains upstream, the concerned district would inform others. Immediately, the information would be passed to the blocks who in turn, will issue an alert about the rivers where there is a chance of flash flood or rise in water levels so that people can move out to safer places,” said an official.