Mamata Banerjee has postponed her north Bengal tour scheduled from September 21 to 24 because of heavy rainfall predicted across the state in next few days following a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal.
“The chief minister would now visit Siliguri between September 28 and 30. The chief minister fights any calamity from the front and this time also, she decided to lead the operations from Nabanna in case heavy rainfall occurs,” said a senior government official.
Mamata was supposed to hold review meetings of five north Bengal districts on September 22 and 23. Now, she is scheduled to hold the meetings on September 29 and 30.
Sources said the chief minister postponed her visit considering the fact that if rainfall occurred in the next few days, a large part of the state could submerge.
“All waterbodies are full and many rivers are flowing just below the danger level. In such a situation, heavy rainfall for a few days at a stretch may lead to inundation in many areas. The chief minister knows the situation well and she postponed her trip considering the ground reality,” said another official.
Sources at Nabanna said every district magistrate had been asked to keep all arrangements ready to fight the disaster, if any.
“Dry foods and other necessities have been kept ready in different districts while arrangements for additional tarpaulins are being made on an emergency basis. People living in the low lying areas could be evacuated if the situation turns critical,” said an official.
The disaster response teams have also been deployed in almost all districts, particularly those which are prone to floods.