Flood scare

Calcutta, Oct. 3: A depression coupled with high tide and excessive rain in the past 24 hours has suddenly worsened the flood situation in the state.

Finance minister Asim Dasgupta and irrigation minister Biswanath Chowdhury met at Writers’ Buildings today to work out ways to deal with the situation, especially in North 24-Parganas and South Dinajpur. New areas have been inundated and embankments breached, Dasgupta said. Balurghat in South Dinajpur recorded 208 mm of rainfall in a span of 12 hours.

Road link between Krishnagar and Karimpur in Nadia was cut off on Monday as a 50-metre-long culvert on the Jalangi river collapsed this morning at Tehatta, about 150 km from Calcutta. The river overflowed. About 70 families living beside the culvert had to be shifted to safer places. “We are trying to make sure people get food and other immediate relief,” Chowdhury said.

Visva-Bharati

Santiniketan: The offices of Visva-Bharati will reopen on Tuesday as employees have decided to return to work. The offices were closed since September 22 as the staff members struck work sympathising with students who have been protesting against alleged police harassment. However, members of the Chhatra Parishad launched a hunger strike from Monday evening demanding removal of security officer Arup Sil, who allegedly helped police arrest three union members accused of assaulting a student of a rival union.

Torture arrest

Midnapore: Sudhir Maiti and his wife were arrested on Monday for allegedly torturing their daughter-in-law Lakshmi. She had tried to commit suicide on Friday by setting herself ablaze at their house in Kolaghat, East Midnapore, about 60 km from Calcutta. Her husband Amal is absconding.