STORM & RAIN

Nature's fury claimed one life in Cooch Behar

Monday night's storm and rough weather claimed one life and damaged about 14,000 dwellings in Cooch Behar district.

At Daribash-II under Gitaldaha gram panchayat in Dinhata one Chanchal Sarkar had to die last night when an uprooted tree fell on the shop that he owns. The man was inside the shop.

The heavy downpour and the storm also damaged cultivation of vegetables, jute and Boro paddy. According to a preliminary report the cultivation of jute, paddy and different kinds of vegetables of about 12,700-hectre farmland got damaged during the nature's fury. The total estimated loss is about Rs 7-crore. The administration is studying the situation carefully, the Additional district magistrate (development) of Cooch Behar, Mr Pannalal Mahapatra said.

The ADM (D) said all the block development officers of the district were asked to initiate relief measures among the distressed people. It is believed that about 14,000 dwellings were damaged during the storm. Among the damaged dwellings about 3,500 have been damaged fully.

The rainfall recorded in the past 24 hours at Cooch Behar is 74.90 mm, at Tufanganj 165.60 mm and at Mathabhanga 43.60 mm. There is a warning for more downpour and stormy weather in this region in the next 24 hours, flood control wing sources said.