Kolkata, September 24 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for those who lost their lives due to electrocution.
Speaking at a Durga Puja inauguration in South Kolkata, CM Banerjee also urged the families of the Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC), Kolkata and nearby areas to pay compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of those who were electrocked.
He said, “The state government will provide a pre -Rs 2 lakhs of Greatia for the families of those electrocks tomorrow. The money cannot replace life, but even though the CESC does not provide a job, we will ensure that such family members are given special employment,” he said.
CM Banerjee further appealed to the CESC to take responsibility for the electrocution deaths.
He said, “I would request CESC to give compensation of Rs 5 lakh to families, as their negligence caused deaths,” he said.
CM Banerjee will inaugurate about 40 Durga Pujas in Kolkata. On Tuesday, he suspended the puja inauguration in view of the flood.
The Chief Minister said that after overnight rain, water came from most parts of the city.
“The problem had increased due to insufficient dragging of waterways for decades. Since yesterday it was a natural disaster, I have been working for the last two days. Most of the roads have resumed water, although there was significant floods in the Hogli river. In addition to some low areas, most of the water has dried,” he said.
He also blamed the Center during the floods in the rivers of West Bengal.
“Nature is not in our hands. Kolkata ports, Faraka Barrage and DVC Mathon- they have not been done for the last 20 years. Whenever it rains in Bihar or Uttar Pradesh, water flows in West Bengal and floods in the river. We have to manage ourselves everything.”
On Tuesday, the price of one month of rain in just five hours, combined with a high tide in the river Hooghly during the heaviest rainfall period, resulted in widespread waterlogging across the city.
In Kolkata, at least 10 people were electrocks in West Bengal including 8. Train services, metro services were disrupted, while the traffic in Kolkata was completely paralyzed as almost every road was in waterfall.
The situation has improved on Wednesday morning, but it will take some time to clean the city of waterlogging completely.
The Met Office recorded 252 mm of rain in five hours, with 185 mm down between 2.30 pm and 5.30 pm. According to KMC data, Geria was the highest with 332 mm, followed by Jodhpur Park in 285 mm, Balliganj in 264 mm, Altadanga in 207 mm and Manikalla in 169 mm.
,
Sch/PGH