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WORLD  Flood Report From West Bengal INDIA, Oct 27 (VNN) — (from Ananda Bazaar Patrika) The fallout from the West Bengal floods is still coming in. Waters are receding everywhere, but simply revealing the extent of the damage. Opposition parties are pointing the finger at the W.B. government and demanding its resignation. The Left Front has been in power there for 23 years, and the opposition asks why they were not better prepared to deal with the disaster. Pronob Mukhopadhyay of the Congress party stated that over the past 20 years, none of the rivers have been dredged. And on and on the retributions go. The reports given here are only the tip of the iceberg, as you can easily tell. I have tried to focus the report, wherever possible, on the Nadia-Nabadwip area. But I only have so much time for this. (1) Agriculture Damages to crops are extensive and funds to give a hand to the farmers is not forthcoming. The usual wrangling between central and state governments is going on, as the W. Bengal government is entirely incapable of meeting the needs of the flood-stricken farmers, most of whom are subsistence farmers working on relatively small plots. The central government has not yet come forth with moneys for the disaster-stricken areas. Current estimates of damage to crops stands at 3,000 crores of Rupees. (2) Railway and other infrastructure An Eastern Railways spokesman said that damages to the railway system in West Bengal are some seven times more extensive than those sustained in Orissa during last year's cyclone. Sixteen bridges were damaged, disrupting rail services. Some 1,417 km. of railway track have been rendered impassable by landslides. The preliminary damage estimates are 130 crores of rupees, but this figure seems low. Reports that service has resumed on most lines is thus premature. The Bandel-Katwa line is functioning as far as Nabadwip Dham, but north of their, the line has been severely damaged. It is still underwater at Agradwip. Estimates are that it will take at least 2 - 3 months before the line can be repaired. Similar estimates are given for the Sealdah-Krishnagar-Lalgola line, especially in the sector north of Krishnanagar. Damage to school buildings was also reported in today's paper as amounting to 135 crores. Some 8,500 primary schools were affected by the floods, another 1,500 secondary and middle schools. A number of college level building were also seriously damaged, but the higher education department has not yet been able to make an estimate of the damages. The worst damage was sustained in Murshidabad district. As yet, no estimates have come in from Midnapore and north 24-Paraganas, where water has still not receded. The government is talking about rebuilding schools on concrete pillars to avoid future disasters of this kind. Vidyasagar College in Nabadwip was listed as one of the higher education centers that were badly damaged. Kalyani University reports one crore rupees ' damage: computers, research labs and equipment, library books including foreign journals (3) Industry The handloom industry is very important in most of the affected areas, especially in the Nadia and Burdwan areas around Nabadwip and Shantipur. Though reports have not been made from every one of these areas, the Shantipur town council has appealed to the Bengal state government for low interest loans to be made to the thousands of weavers in its historical handloom sector to recuperate their losses. Yesterday, a report from Purvasthali and Samudragarh, near Nabadwip, more than 50,000 people are dependent on this industry and their cloth is exported throughout India, to Delhi and Madras. Yet, 39,000 looms have been damaged by the flood waters. Raw materials and finished product were also destroyed by the flood. Siraj Mondol, the Block Industrial Officer said, "There are about 39,000 weavers in the block. They have not been able to return to work with the retreat of the water. No one knows when they will be able to start working again. Another 5,000 people work in cloth mills, where mechanized looms were under water for nearly two weeks. So they too are without work." Subal Bagchi of Nasratpur village has five looms in his house. He has visited the BDO office every day this week to see if he can get any help. He says, "The Delhi wholesaler has placed orders with us, but because of the work stoppage, we have spent all the advance money we have received. If we cannot produce goods to send him, we won't get any more orders from him." He is hoping to get money to at least get two looms working so that he can get back in business. As yet no government help has been forthcoming. The government has sent word that only enough money for loans to buy or repair 12,000 looms will be sent into the area. The Purvasthali town council is sending a letter to the Block office to ask what is to be done about the other 18,000. (4) Drinking water The problem of arsenic-contaminated water in West Bengal has come to the forefront in the last couple of years. The tube wells that provide most people in the region with water have been inundated with the flood over the past month, leaving millions without proper drinking water. Although some work has been started to make filtration possible in many areas, it is impossible to keep up with the need. In a meeting last night, the deputy Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya stated that this problem was the most serious one being faced by the state at this time, as the lack of clean water leads to disease and possible epidemics in the aftermath of the flood. The Bongaon-Basirhat area has been particularly affected by arsenic contamination. Even before the flood, many of the 62 deep tube wells that provided the area's water had been closed on account of arsenic. Twenty-five days after floods hit this northern 24-Paraganas area, nearly 500,000 people are still living in refugee camps. The local health boards warn that if nothing is done to clean the water supply, the consequences could be terrible within the next month or two. Official statistics count over 30,000 people with stomach-related diseases, of which 9 have died. Water still has not gone down in many areas along the Icchamati River. Water is being brought in in drums. Burdwan district also reports some 20,000 cases gastro-enteritis and dysentery leading to four deaths. (5) Riverbank slides and changing channels Though this is likely affecting most flooded areas, Ananda Bazaar Patrika reports on the 24-Paragana areas where the Icchamati River has flooded. Many villages in the Bhaduri have been affected, with more than 250 houses sliding into the river. Thousands of other residents of these villages have abandoned their homes in fear of landslides. Local teacher Dulal Ray said, If things go on like this, the entire 11th ward of the Bhaduri municipality will end up in the river. There is a Gaudiya Math that is nearly a hundred years old there that will also be lost. È The local people are trying to prevent further damage to the banks by rebuilding the embankment. Local village leaders say that the problem arises from the zigzag course the Icchamati takes through the area. If the river's course were straightened, many of the villages would have been out of danger. The river's course has changed in many places.  Comment on this storyContact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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