Several incidents of post-poll violence have been reported across West Bengal, with tension escalating in various districts following the recent assembly elections. Clashes between political party supporters have led to injuries, arrests, and heightened security measures.
In the last few years, a number of similar incidents have taken place in various parts of the state, and though no fatalities have been caused, these have led to questions being raised on the quality of public works in the state.
More than 45 lakh people in 30 out of the total 38 districts of the state have been affected by the calamity in two phases since last month, according to the Disaster Management Department.
Many low-lying areas in West Bengal's sub-Himalayan region were reeling from a flood-like situation while major rivers in Bihar were flowing above the danger level at several places as unabated heavy rain lashed the country's eastern parts on Sunday.
The army Captain is posted in Jammu and Kashmir and his relatives had earlier alleged that anti-national elements were behind his abduction.
People lost their lives in the affected districts due to incidents of drowning, electrocution, house collapse and falling of trees, a disaster management department release said.
With major rivers in northern Bihar rising menacingly at several places in the state following heavy rains in catchment areas and discharge into the rivers from Nepal, thousands of people have been forced to abandon their homes and hundreds of villages have been flooded, officials said.
A Dalit woman was assaulted, tortured and tonsured by locals after holding her responsible for the death of a youth under mysterious circumstances in Sambalpur district, the police said on Saturday.
Angry locals on Wednesday torched five bogies of Delhi-bound Mahananda Express in Haathras, injuring 13 people, including a circle officer, in protest against abolition of a nearby railway station.
The overall flood situation in Bihar remained grim on Monday with major rivers in spate. Around 1.5 million people have been affected by the deluge in 11 north Bihar districts, where floods have claimed 52 lives so far, official sources said.
In a public appeal, the army said Captain Shikhar Deep, posted in Jammu and Kashmir with the 8 Sikh Light Infantry regiment, was travelling by Mahananda Express (15483) from Katihar to Delhi on February 6-7.
Till Sunday evening, floods in Assam had claimed 29 lives while in Bihar the flood toll stood at 26.
Sixty thousand people living in the unprotected area between the river bank and the dyke have been hit by floods in Malda district of West Bengal following rise in the water level of the Ganga and Fulhar rivers, official sources said.
Waterlogging was reported from several areas in Patna city following incessant rains during the past 48 hours.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau on Friday arrested suspended Executive Director of Mahananda Diary Shivajirao Talekar for possessing assets disproportionate to his known source of income.
BSF asserted that they will continue with embankment building work at Indo-Bangladesh border regardless of firing from Bangladesh' side.
The floods have affected 31 lakh people across 13 districts and also widely damaged crops in different parts of the state.
In Assam, nearly 27.80 lakh people across 26 districts have been affected by the deluge. The deaths were reported from the Barpeta, Kokrajhar and Morigaon districts. The death toll due to floods and landslides this year has risen to 122.
The flood situation on Sunday worsened in Bihar where two more people lost their lives taking the death toll to 36, while flood waters entered fresh areas, pushing up the number of affected districts to 17.
The search operation for the officer posted in Jammu and Kashmir is being carried out jointly by the Army, Bihar police, Railway police, National Investigation Agency and the Intelligence Bureau in the Kanpur-Katihar-Delhi section, a defence spokesman said in Jammu on Thursday.
About 1.82 lakh people have been evacuated to safe places by the rescue teams in last 48 hours.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal over phone and discussed about the prevailing condition on Monday.
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'The prime minister expressed concern and assured all possible help to the state,' CMO said.
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'We are rushing to 'develop' without carefully valuing natural areas.' 'With careful land use planning and scientific zonation at least 5 to 10 per cent of the country's land can be secured for tigers and other such species, and another 5 to 15 per cent kept under low-impact uses to support biodiversity that can coexist with human uses.'
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