July 27: Heavy rain lashed Siliguri and Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar districts in the last 24 hours, leading to water logging and rise in the level of many rivers some of which have breached banks.

In Cooch Behar, the Torsha river has changed course in Madhupur, 7km from town, and has washed away a bridge. Nearly 100 families in three-four villages have been forced to shift after the river breached banks.

Low-lying areas of Cooch Behar town like Debibari, Bus Stand and Nantu Dasgupta Colony have been under water since morning. It rained persistently from 9am to 12 noon today. The water, however, receded in the evening.

According to Jalpaiguri Met Office sources, the southwest monsoon, which is strong in the region, has caused very heavy rain at isolated places in the Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar districts of sub-Himalayan Bengal and Sikkim.

“There is a forecast of heavy rain in these areas during the next 24 hours,” Indranil Sengupta, the assistant meteorological officer of Jalpaiguri Met Office, said today.

The North Bengal Flood Control Commission said though the water level had increased in many rivers, no alert had been issued yet.