By IANS
New Delhi : The death toll in three days of heavy rain in West Bengal rose to 15 Thursday, as authorities in Rajasthan's Pali district were forced to use helicopters to evacuate around 40 villagers marooned by overflowing dams.
"We had to seek the help of the air force to evacuate over 40 people who were stranded in Surayata village in the district due to damage to a nearby lake," L.N. Dave, state mines minister, told IANS.
Three people stranded near Mandla village in Pali were also flown to safety.
Dave said almost all big and small dams in the district were overflowing following heavy downpour in the last couple of days. The state government is monitoring the situation closely, he added.
The desert state of Rajasthan has been receiving good rainfall for the past few days, especially in areas bordering Gujarat.
In West Bengal, Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia confirmed 14 deaths. However, district officials said a 32-year-old farmer died in lightening in Purulia district Thursday, taking the toll to 15.
Unconfirmed reports put the toll at 17 as TV channels reported death of two more people in the industrial town of Durgapur.
G.C. Debnath, regional director of the meteorological department at Alipur, said heavy to very heavy rains with stormy winds at a speed of 55 km per hour are likely to hit Gangetic West Bengal districts in the next 48 hours.
"Over 25 cm of rainfall might take place in some areas of south Bengal. The fishermen in the coastal areas have also been asked not to go for fishing in the deep sea," Debnath said.
With the torrential rains pounding Gangetic West Bengal, many highways and villages went under water. Two cracks were also spotted in the dam on the Haldi river in East Midnapur district.
Railway officials suspended the 'toy train service' in Darjeeling district in the north Thursday due to frequent landslides.
West Bengal civil defence controller Akhil Roy told IANS that about 70 people were sent to different places in south Bengal with relief boats and relief materials.
West Bengal Relief Minister Mortaja Hossain said that all affected districts have been alerted in view of the situation and the state government is also trying to help them with all possible support.
Several local trains and long distance trains in Howrah and Sealdah section were cancelled, railway officials said. Bus services were also disrupted in Kolkata.
However, flights at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) airport were normal.
Boats were still plying in parts of north Kolkata.
In neighbouring Orissa, most rivers in northern district of Balasore were in spate after the third consecutive day of rains, triggering fears of flood in at least 25 villages.
Water levels in the major rivers flowing in the coastal district – Budhabalanga, Subarnarekha, Kansabansa, Jalaka and Sona – were increasing, district emergency officer Bhagaban Behera told IANS.
Balasore, about 200 km from state capital Bhubaneswar, has been facing heavy rains due to a depression over the Bay of Bengal.
The water level in the Jalaka river was above the danger mark Thursday morning, he said. The water in this river was flowing at 6.15 metres as against the danger mark of 5.5 metres at 6 p.m., he said.
"At least 25 villages under five gram panchayats in Basta block will be flooded if the water level crosses the 6.50 metre mark," he said.
Although water levels in other rivers of the district were below the danger level, the possibility of flood cannot be ruled out if the rain continues, the official said.
The district received a total 369 mm of rain Thursday.
"We have alerted people living in the low laying areas along the rivers to remain alert," District Collector A.C. Padhiary said.
Meanwhile, the meteorological office at Bhubaneswar Thursday evening predicted heavy to very heavy rain at a few places and extremely heavy rains at isolated places in north Orissa including Balasore district.
Squally weather with wind from westerly direction with a speed of up to 70 kmph is likely to prevail along and off the north Orissa coast, an official said.