Floods in Malda have worsened with the Ganga rising above the extreme danger mark on Wednesday morning, inundating new areas in Manikchak and Ratua-1 blocks.

Nearly 8,000 families are affected in Manikchak and Ratua-I blocks, said sources.

They added that the Ganga is flowing at 25.36m at Manikchakghat, above the extreme danger level of 25.30m. A red (secondary) alert has been sounded in unprotected areas along the river’s bank and the administration is keeping tabs on embankments.

Mridul Halder, the additional district magistrate in charge of disaster management and relief, said on Wednesday that flood relief centres were open and relief items had been sent to the inundated blocks.

Ganga apart, the Mahananda and Fulhar rivers of the district are also swelling.

Rangaswamy Azhagesan, the general manager of the Farakka Barrage Project Authority (FBPA) and his team on Wednesday visited the eroded areas of Kaliachak-III block where nearly 150 families lost homes in a month. The FBPA, responsible for preventing erosion along a stretch of the Ganga’s left bank, promised permanent anti-erosion measures.

In Nadia’s Santipur, eight homes were submerged in sudden erosion caused by river Hooghly on Tuesday night.