Fri Oct 04 04:56:21 UTC 2024: ## West Bengal Panchayat Department Demands Urgent Report on Flood-Damaged Rural Roads
**Kolkata, October 4, 2024:** The West Bengal Panchayat Department has issued an urgent call to all district magistrates (DMs) for a detailed report on the extent of damage caused to rural roads by recent floods. The department’s secretary, P. Ulganathan, has requested the DMs to submit the report before the Durga Puja vacation begins.
The report should encompass the number of kilometers of rural roads damaged, the type of damage incurred, and their current condition. The department is also seeking information on the condition of affected culverts and other infrastructure.
The DMs have been instructed to estimate the cost of repairing roads and replacing damaged culverts, along with the expense required for infrastructure maintenance and restoration.
The call for this urgent report comes in the wake of severe flooding that has impacted several districts across West Bengal, particularly in South Bengal. Districts such as Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Birbhum, Bankura, Howrah, Hooghly, Purba Medinipore, and Paschim Medinipore have been severely affected. Flooding has also impacted the northern districts of Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, and Malda, with rising waters from Nepal’s overflowing Koshi River causing significant damage.
In response to the crisis, the central government has allocated Rs. 468 crore to assist with recovery and rebuilding efforts in the flood-affected areas of West Bengal.
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