West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that her government has shifted people from low-lying areas to safer places and relief centres have been set up, as part of preparations in the wake of forecasts for heavy rain in the state.

She also asked people in coastal areas not to venture into the deep sea during the next 48 hours.

"In Bengal, forecasts are for heavy rainfall over the next 48 hours. The state government has taken all measures to deal with any situation. People from low-lying areas have been shifted and relief centres readied. Disaster management control rooms have also been set up," she said.

Heavy rain lashed southern Bengal, including Kolkata, on Thursday under the influence of a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, officials said.

More rainfall is expected over the next 24 hours, with the intensity going up to 2-3 cm per hour, they said.

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