TALES OF WOE
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda: For Sujala Roy, 20, of Hemtabad’s Sonabandh village, it was a pleasant surprise, even amid the gloom. On Monday, governor M K Narayanan himself spoke to her about her plight. Sujala became a widow after her husband, Dinesh, died in last week’s tornado, leaving her to stare at a very uncertain future. With the only earning member of the household gone, the hapless Sujala — who has two sons — has no means to repair her damaged house.
On Monday, the barriers of language melted in the face of a story of raw human emotion. Sujala’s tale of tears touched Narayanan’s heart even as he directed Hemtabad BDO Ananta Sarkar to take every possible measure to alleviate her condition, as also of the thousands of others for whom home and hearth lay in ruins. A visibly excited Sujala
could not control her emotions and broke down in tears.
The governor later directed officials of the North Dinajpur district administration to complete preparing a list of houses damaged in the storm in the next three days. The list would be sent to the state government soon in order to get compensation to repair the damaged houses.
It should be noted that the governor’s earlier scheduled visit, on April 17, could not take place owing to inclement weather, which prevented his flight from landing.
On Monday morning, however, the governor’s helicopter landed at Merual, the premises of the BSF headquarters in Raiganj, from where he was driven down to Kantar and Sonabadha villages in Hemtabad. He spent a considerable amount of time meeting storm-affected people...published in TOI on 27.04.10
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Storm victims clash with cops, 30 hurt
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Malda: Clashes over relief materials for tornado victims broke out at Sitamari village in Raigunj on Monday afternoon, forcing police to open fire. At least 30 people, including 12 policemen, were injured the violence.
Lakhs were rendered homeless by the killer twister that struck last Wednesday. Six days on, most don’t have food or even a sheet of tarpaulin to shelter under. The anger burst forth on Monday tornado victims blocked National Highway 34 and attacked local leaders and gheraoed ministers and panchayat employees.
Civil defence minister Srikumar Mukherjee and cottage industries minister Narayan Biswas had to be rescued by police in Mahajanbari of Hemtabad block. Police fought off angry villagers to rescue panchayat employees who were locked up in Rampur gram panchayat in Raiganj.
But removing the NH-34 blockade proved more difficult as the mob brickbatted police and wrecked two police jeeps. Raiganj IC Sujit Ghosh said: “When we appealed to the agitators to vacate NH-34 they started throwing stones at us. We had no option but to lathicharge.” The caning had no effect. Finally, police had to open fire, said Ghosh. Five of the injured were admitted to Raiganj district hospital.
The Congress-led North Dinajpur zilla parishad has decided to build houses for the dependents of those who died in the storm. More than 1 lakh houses were razed and another 94,000 partially damaged in the twister. District magistrate Ramanuj Chakraborty has dismissed allegations of inadequate relief...published in TOI on 20.4.10
Malda: Clashes over relief materials for tornado victims broke out at Sitamari village in Raigunj on Monday afternoon, forcing police to open fire. At least 30 people, including 12 policemen, were injured the violence.
Lakhs were rendered homeless by the killer twister that struck last Wednesday. Six days on, most don’t have food or even a sheet of tarpaulin to shelter under. The anger burst forth on Monday tornado victims blocked National Highway 34 and attacked local leaders and gheraoed ministers and panchayat employees.
Civil defence minister Srikumar Mukherjee and cottage industries minister Narayan Biswas had to be rescued by police in Mahajanbari of Hemtabad block. Police fought off angry villagers to rescue panchayat employees who were locked up in Rampur gram panchayat in Raiganj.
But removing the NH-34 blockade proved more difficult as the mob brickbatted police and wrecked two police jeeps. Raiganj IC Sujit Ghosh said: “When we appealed to the agitators to vacate NH-34 they started throwing stones at us. We had no option but to lathicharge.” The caning had no effect. Finally, police had to open fire, said Ghosh. Five of the injured were admitted to Raiganj district hospital.
The Congress-led North Dinajpur zilla parishad has decided to build houses for the dependents of those who died in the storm. More than 1 lakh houses were razed and another 94,000 partially damaged in the twister. District magistrate Ramanuj Chakraborty has dismissed allegations of inadequate relief...published in TOI on 20.4.10
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Guv chopper fails to land at Raiganj
Subhro Maitra | TNN
Raiganj: The stage was set, journalists were milling around and all the officials were on their toes. And all pairs of eyes were scanning the skies for the helicopter that was to bring governor M K Narayanan to Raiganj for a tour of the tornado-affected areas. But for the ministers, district-level officials and the general public, the wait turned out to be futile. Narayanan could not reach Raiganj and reports later came in that his helicopter had been unable to land due to bad weather.
The governor was to arrive in Raiganj at 9 am. The scheduled visit had sparked a flurry of activity, with the North Dinajpur district administration putting together a report overnight on the relief and rehabilitation work after the tornado. Four ministers —Mortaja Hossain (health), Srikumar Mukherjee (civil defence), Paresh Adhikary (food) and Anwarul Haque (MoS, health) — and a host of administrative officers, including the North Dinajpur DM, were present at the BSF helipad at Merual to receive the governor. A fleet of cars was waiting to take Narayanan to the affected areas.
As the clock touched 9.45 am and the crowd got restless, the first hum of rotors could be heard. The black speck far away soon turned into a helicopter. But after circling the area for a while, the helicopter flew away. Finally, around 10.30 am, a message came in that the governor’s trip had been cancelled. “Due to inclement weather, the Governor’s helicopter could not land,” North Dinajpur DM Ramanuj Chakraborty told the media.
News filtered in later that the governor had started from Siliguri in a helicopter with principal secretary (disaster management) B L Meena and IG North Bengal K L Tamta for Raiganj in the morning. But the pilot failed to locate the helipad and flew to Balurghat instead. From there, the helicopter took off but again failed to locate the Raiganj landing pad and flew back to Siliguri.
An IAF spokesperson said later that the dense clouds over Raiganj made it impossible to spot the BSF camp despite smoke canisters being burst. The pilot did not risk the l a n d i n g with a highprofile passenger as he had to depend solely on visual estimation to touch down.
U n a b l e to meet the g ove r n o r, the tornado victims continued with their agitation for the second day in different parts of North Dinajpur. At Beldanga in Hemtabad block, aggrieved villagers blocked the Raigunj-Balurghat state highway for hours to demand foodgrain. Later Divisional Commissioner A K Singh visited the area to pacify the mob and assure them of help.
In Altapur under Karandighi block, people blocked National Highway-34 to demand relief materials. Minister Paresh Adhikary got stranded because of this blockade. Relief Minister Mortaza Hossain faced the wrath of villagers at Khoyashpur under Karandighi. Agitating villagers also confronted officials at Tunibhita, Raypara, Bhabanipara and Sadhanpur in Karandighi....published in TOI on 18.04.10
Raiganj: The stage was set, journalists were milling around and all the officials were on their toes. And all pairs of eyes were scanning the skies for the helicopter that was to bring governor M K Narayanan to Raiganj for a tour of the tornado-affected areas. But for the ministers, district-level officials and the general public, the wait turned out to be futile. Narayanan could not reach Raiganj and reports later came in that his helicopter had been unable to land due to bad weather.
The governor was to arrive in Raiganj at 9 am. The scheduled visit had sparked a flurry of activity, with the North Dinajpur district administration putting together a report overnight on the relief and rehabilitation work after the tornado. Four ministers —Mortaja Hossain (health), Srikumar Mukherjee (civil defence), Paresh Adhikary (food) and Anwarul Haque (MoS, health) — and a host of administrative officers, including the North Dinajpur DM, were present at the BSF helipad at Merual to receive the governor. A fleet of cars was waiting to take Narayanan to the affected areas.
As the clock touched 9.45 am and the crowd got restless, the first hum of rotors could be heard. The black speck far away soon turned into a helicopter. But after circling the area for a while, the helicopter flew away. Finally, around 10.30 am, a message came in that the governor’s trip had been cancelled. “Due to inclement weather, the Governor’s helicopter could not land,” North Dinajpur DM Ramanuj Chakraborty told the media.
News filtered in later that the governor had started from Siliguri in a helicopter with principal secretary (disaster management) B L Meena and IG North Bengal K L Tamta for Raiganj in the morning. But the pilot failed to locate the helipad and flew to Balurghat instead. From there, the helicopter took off but again failed to locate the Raiganj landing pad and flew back to Siliguri.
An IAF spokesperson said later that the dense clouds over Raiganj made it impossible to spot the BSF camp despite smoke canisters being burst. The pilot did not risk the l a n d i n g with a highprofile passenger as he had to depend solely on visual estimation to touch down.
U n a b l e to meet the g ove r n o r, the tornado victims continued with their agitation for the second day in different parts of North Dinajpur. At Beldanga in Hemtabad block, aggrieved villagers blocked the Raigunj-Balurghat state highway for hours to demand foodgrain. Later Divisional Commissioner A K Singh visited the area to pacify the mob and assure them of help.
In Altapur under Karandighi block, people blocked National Highway-34 to demand relief materials. Minister Paresh Adhikary got stranded because of this blockade. Relief Minister Mortaza Hossain faced the wrath of villagers at Khoyashpur under Karandighi. Agitating villagers also confronted officials at Tunibhita, Raypara, Bhabanipara and Sadhanpur in Karandighi....published in TOI on 18.04.10
Storm leaves N Dinajpur denuded of greenery
Prithvijit Mitra & Subhro Maitra | TNN
Raiganj: Mammoth uprooted trunks, heaps of branches and twigs and mounds of earth wrenched from their base greet you almost everywhere at Karandighi and Raiganj. As the twister raced through the villages, wreaking havoc, it left this trail of toppled trees. They fell everywhere – in backyards, along the paddy fields, on the edge of the highway and deep inside villages.
The district administration has no mechanism for taking a count or even to remove them and clear the roads, many of which remained blocked till Thursday night. The damage done to the environment by the tornado could be substantial, said officials.
While some put the number of uprooted trees at 50,000 in Karandighi alone, others said the figure could cross 2 lakh in the five affected blocks of Raiganj, Karandighi, Hemtabad, Kaliaganj, and Goalpokhor 2.
The tree-lined avenue at Karnajora in Raiganj that is flanked by the bungalows of senior district officials including the district magistrate, additional DM, and the divisional forest officer, resembled a graveyard of greenery. Huge uprooted trees lay strewn all over. Two banyan trees – one from the DFO’s bungalow and the other from the SDO’s quarters on the opposite side formed a bridge across the road. Both trees damaged the boundary walls of their respective premises, making them collapse and landing the overhead network of cable and electrical wires in a tangled mess. It has taken nearly two days for workers to clear the debris.
The most common tree species in North Dinajpur are sissoo, simul, siris, akashmoni, khair, lali, khadam, mingiri, eucalyphus, sidha, jarul, sal, sheora and arjun. Teak is also available sporadically in some patches. The forests in this district are mainly plantations. Sal is mainly of coppice origin. The total forest area is hardly 0.19 per cent of the total geographical area of the district. It has taken a further beating following the tornado. Sal , arjun and siris trees are estimated to have suffered the highest casualties. “It is difficult to arrange for the trees to be removed.
We can clear some on the borders of the highway but elsewhere villagers must help themselves,” said a forest official.
While officials are at a loss and can’t decide what to do with the trees, villagers have taken it upon themselves to remove them. At Kumargari in Raiganj, villagers have formed a committee to supervise the operation. “We don’t have machines to cut the trunks and remove them. So, we are lopping off the branches and pushing the trunks as far as we can to make room for vehicles to pass. We have no idea if the administration is going to take up the job,” said Budhmohan Das, a resident of Kumargari.
Hundreds of branches and trunks lying along the NH 34 have been taken away. While some are being sold, the rest are being whisked away to be used as fuel at home...published in TOI on 17.04.2010
Raiganj: Mammoth uprooted trunks, heaps of branches and twigs and mounds of earth wrenched from their base greet you almost everywhere at Karandighi and Raiganj. As the twister raced through the villages, wreaking havoc, it left this trail of toppled trees. They fell everywhere – in backyards, along the paddy fields, on the edge of the highway and deep inside villages.
The district administration has no mechanism for taking a count or even to remove them and clear the roads, many of which remained blocked till Thursday night. The damage done to the environment by the tornado could be substantial, said officials.
While some put the number of uprooted trees at 50,000 in Karandighi alone, others said the figure could cross 2 lakh in the five affected blocks of Raiganj, Karandighi, Hemtabad, Kaliaganj, and Goalpokhor 2.
The tree-lined avenue at Karnajora in Raiganj that is flanked by the bungalows of senior district officials including the district magistrate, additional DM, and the divisional forest officer, resembled a graveyard of greenery. Huge uprooted trees lay strewn all over. Two banyan trees – one from the DFO’s bungalow and the other from the SDO’s quarters on the opposite side formed a bridge across the road. Both trees damaged the boundary walls of their respective premises, making them collapse and landing the overhead network of cable and electrical wires in a tangled mess. It has taken nearly two days for workers to clear the debris.
The most common tree species in North Dinajpur are sissoo, simul, siris, akashmoni, khair, lali, khadam, mingiri, eucalyphus, sidha, jarul, sal, sheora and arjun. Teak is also available sporadically in some patches. The forests in this district are mainly plantations. Sal is mainly of coppice origin. The total forest area is hardly 0.19 per cent of the total geographical area of the district. It has taken a further beating following the tornado. Sal , arjun and siris trees are estimated to have suffered the highest casualties. “It is difficult to arrange for the trees to be removed.
We can clear some on the borders of the highway but elsewhere villagers must help themselves,” said a forest official.
While officials are at a loss and can’t decide what to do with the trees, villagers have taken it upon themselves to remove them. At Kumargari in Raiganj, villagers have formed a committee to supervise the operation. “We don’t have machines to cut the trunks and remove them. So, we are lopping off the branches and pushing the trunks as far as we can to make room for vehicles to pass. We have no idea if the administration is going to take up the job,” said Budhmohan Das, a resident of Kumargari.
Hundreds of branches and trunks lying along the NH 34 have been taken away. While some are being sold, the rest are being whisked away to be used as fuel at home...published in TOI on 17.04.2010
Tornado relief delay sparks protests
Subhro Maitra & Prithvijit Mitra | TNN
Karandighi (North Dinajpur): The simmering discontent over relief distribution in the storm-struck areas flared up into violent protests. Thousands of tornado victims took to the street on Friday, demanding quick and better relief in the five affected blocks of North Dinajpur.
They blocked roads and laid a siege around the BDO office at Hemtabad and blocked the state highway between Raiganj
and Kaliaganj, demanding relief and restoration of power supply. All this happened a day before the visit of governor M K Narayanan to the tornado-hit areas. Kaliaganj BDO Soumalya Ghosh held an all-party meeting in the morning to lift the road blockade. It was attended by IC Swapan Dasgupta. A huge police force had to be posted at the Karandighi block office to keep off angry protesters who threatened to assault BDO Anandashankar Ray. It was alleged that relief material was not being distributed properly and the local administration was making no effort to speed up the process.
The district administration had claimed that 14,000 tarpaulins have been allotted for Karandighi, 9000 for Hemtabad and 6000 for Raiganj.
Residents of Karandighi alleged that while the block needed 26,000 tarpaulins, just 600 had actually arrived. “The administration is lying. A visit to any of the affected villages will make it clear that almost no material has been distributed,” said Raju Ray, a resident of Karandighi.
The North Dinajpur administration admitted that the distribution process has been hit by anomalies in the list of victims. “Hundreds of names have appeared twice on the list which has led to confusion. We are trying to verify the list and make sure that the real victims get assistance,” said P K Dutta, additional DM.
But the storm victims were not ready to listen to excuses. They erupted in anger across Hemtabad, Raiganj and Karandighi. At Hemtabad block, agitation started around 10 am at the BDO Office More. At Haat Kaliaganj in Hemtabad, there was a similar agitation at the panchayat office. The victims there alleged that the relief material were distributed among the supporters of a particular party. The agitation went on till late into the evening.
At Baghanbattali under Bhandarpur panchayat, people blocked the road. Dalkhola, too, witnessed similar protests.
Around 25 tarpaulins were looted by a mob at Bazargaon at Karandighi before the police moved in and drove away the crowd. The administration arranged for 9000 more tarpaulins for Karandighi in addition to the 14,000 that reached on Thursday.
Sheikh Shamsul Haque,a panchayat member at Karandighi alleged that the number of tarpaulins that had arrived was still insufficient. A claim which was reiterated by Congress MP Dipa Das Munshi....published in TOI on 17.04.2010
Karandighi (North Dinajpur): The simmering discontent over relief distribution in the storm-struck areas flared up into violent protests. Thousands of tornado victims took to the street on Friday, demanding quick and better relief in the five affected blocks of North Dinajpur.
They blocked roads and laid a siege around the BDO office at Hemtabad and blocked the state highway between Raiganj
and Kaliaganj, demanding relief and restoration of power supply. All this happened a day before the visit of governor M K Narayanan to the tornado-hit areas. Kaliaganj BDO Soumalya Ghosh held an all-party meeting in the morning to lift the road blockade. It was attended by IC Swapan Dasgupta. A huge police force had to be posted at the Karandighi block office to keep off angry protesters who threatened to assault BDO Anandashankar Ray. It was alleged that relief material was not being distributed properly and the local administration was making no effort to speed up the process.
The district administration had claimed that 14,000 tarpaulins have been allotted for Karandighi, 9000 for Hemtabad and 6000 for Raiganj.
Residents of Karandighi alleged that while the block needed 26,000 tarpaulins, just 600 had actually arrived. “The administration is lying. A visit to any of the affected villages will make it clear that almost no material has been distributed,” said Raju Ray, a resident of Karandighi.
The North Dinajpur administration admitted that the distribution process has been hit by anomalies in the list of victims. “Hundreds of names have appeared twice on the list which has led to confusion. We are trying to verify the list and make sure that the real victims get assistance,” said P K Dutta, additional DM.
But the storm victims were not ready to listen to excuses. They erupted in anger across Hemtabad, Raiganj and Karandighi. At Hemtabad block, agitation started around 10 am at the BDO Office More. At Haat Kaliaganj in Hemtabad, there was a similar agitation at the panchayat office. The victims there alleged that the relief material were distributed among the supporters of a particular party. The agitation went on till late into the evening.
At Baghanbattali under Bhandarpur panchayat, people blocked the road. Dalkhola, too, witnessed similar protests.
Around 25 tarpaulins were looted by a mob at Bazargaon at Karandighi before the police moved in and drove away the crowd. The administration arranged for 9000 more tarpaulins for Karandighi in addition to the 14,000 that reached on Thursday.
Sheikh Shamsul Haque,a panchayat member at Karandighi alleged that the number of tarpaulins that had arrived was still insufficient. A claim which was reiterated by Congress MP Dipa Das Munshi....published in TOI on 17.04.2010
One death and a dozen mouths to feed
Prithvijit Mitra & Subhro Maitra | TNN
Karandighi (North Dinajpur): Her head covered with a veil, she treads gingerly through the ruins of her hut, guiding her siblings — a dozen of them — like a protective mother hen. Even as they run around, tugging at the bamboo poles of the hut felled by the tornado on Tuesday night, 16-year-old Mamera Khatun huddles them together and leads them to her grandfather’s house at the other end of Haldibari village. Their mother Rabeya Khatun was buried under the hut with their youngest sister Arifa, who was just-one-and-half.
Theirs is just one of the 400 huts flattened by the killer tornado in Haldibari of Karandighi block. It has left nearly 1,000 homeless in this North Dinajpur village, inhabited largely by Muslims. But none faces as uncertain a future as Mamera and her siblings. Deserted by their father Ismail Sheikh, the family made ends meet by tying bidis. Rabeya was assisted by Mamera and younger sister Nadira. The three made around Rs 80 a day, hardly enough to feed the 15-member family. Neighbours and grandparents helped. Often they had to skip meals.
On Tuesday night, the children had taken shelter in the village mosque while Rabeya hid under the bed with little Arifa in her lap. The roof collapsed on them, killing both on the spot. Rabeya was pregnant. With Rabeya dead, the family income is set to drop further. This is nothing short of a calamity for Mamera who now has to fend for her minor siblings.
It’s a daunting task that would unsettle most teenagers, but Mamera displays a maturity far beyond her age. She has already been talking to village elders, seeking information on how to augment income by working with self-help groups. “I am not going to let my brothers and sisters grow up on charity. They are not old enough to earn, so I have to work hard. I don’t even expect my grandfather to help us. And I am certainly not going to let my father take charge,” Mamera declared proudly.
While 15-year-old Nadira nods her head in agreement, the rest are still too young to gauge the seriousness of the situation. Villagers fear they might take to the wrong path, lured by the prospect of easy money.
“Rabeya had suffered all her life and we can only hope that Mamera manages to pull through the crisis. There is little else that we can do for the family,” said Harej Ali, a village elder.
Till Thursday evening, no relief had reached Haldibari. The only primary school in the vicinity was too small to accommodate the 1,000-odd, who have been left without a roof. With the land not fertile enough, people depend on tying bidi or work as labourers in cities. A thousand bidis earn them Rs 65 a day, but contractors claim a substantial chunk. “This tornado can’t leave us poorer and more miserable than we already were. It has just made us homeless now. But if you don’t have enough to eat, what difference does a roof or its absence makes?” asked Barjahan Sheik, Mamera’s grandfather.
But Mamera isn’t ready to give up yet. Like her siblings she has never been to a school in her life. “But if studying helps, I am ready to start learning. I know I can do it,” she said, gathering the pieces of bamboo poles and straws that have been left strewn all over the place where her hut stood till a night ago....published in TOI on 16.04.2010
Karandighi (North Dinajpur): Her head covered with a veil, she treads gingerly through the ruins of her hut, guiding her siblings — a dozen of them — like a protective mother hen. Even as they run around, tugging at the bamboo poles of the hut felled by the tornado on Tuesday night, 16-year-old Mamera Khatun huddles them together and leads them to her grandfather’s house at the other end of Haldibari village. Their mother Rabeya Khatun was buried under the hut with their youngest sister Arifa, who was just-one-and-half.
Theirs is just one of the 400 huts flattened by the killer tornado in Haldibari of Karandighi block. It has left nearly 1,000 homeless in this North Dinajpur village, inhabited largely by Muslims. But none faces as uncertain a future as Mamera and her siblings. Deserted by their father Ismail Sheikh, the family made ends meet by tying bidis. Rabeya was assisted by Mamera and younger sister Nadira. The three made around Rs 80 a day, hardly enough to feed the 15-member family. Neighbours and grandparents helped. Often they had to skip meals.
On Tuesday night, the children had taken shelter in the village mosque while Rabeya hid under the bed with little Arifa in her lap. The roof collapsed on them, killing both on the spot. Rabeya was pregnant. With Rabeya dead, the family income is set to drop further. This is nothing short of a calamity for Mamera who now has to fend for her minor siblings.
It’s a daunting task that would unsettle most teenagers, but Mamera displays a maturity far beyond her age. She has already been talking to village elders, seeking information on how to augment income by working with self-help groups. “I am not going to let my brothers and sisters grow up on charity. They are not old enough to earn, so I have to work hard. I don’t even expect my grandfather to help us. And I am certainly not going to let my father take charge,” Mamera declared proudly.
While 15-year-old Nadira nods her head in agreement, the rest are still too young to gauge the seriousness of the situation. Villagers fear they might take to the wrong path, lured by the prospect of easy money.
“Rabeya had suffered all her life and we can only hope that Mamera manages to pull through the crisis. There is little else that we can do for the family,” said Harej Ali, a village elder.
Till Thursday evening, no relief had reached Haldibari. The only primary school in the vicinity was too small to accommodate the 1,000-odd, who have been left without a roof. With the land not fertile enough, people depend on tying bidi or work as labourers in cities. A thousand bidis earn them Rs 65 a day, but contractors claim a substantial chunk. “This tornado can’t leave us poorer and more miserable than we already were. It has just made us homeless now. But if you don’t have enough to eat, what difference does a roof or its absence makes?” asked Barjahan Sheik, Mamera’s grandfather.
But Mamera isn’t ready to give up yet. Like her siblings she has never been to a school in her life. “But if studying helps, I am ready to start learning. I know I can do it,” she said, gathering the pieces of bamboo poles and straws that have been left strewn all over the place where her hut stood till a night ago....published in TOI on 16.04.2010
Storm-struck begin new year amid ruins
Prithvijit Mitra & Subhro Maitra | TNN
Raiganj: Residents of Mehendigram in Raiganj block had gathered at the thakurdalan — the centre of the village — for its annual bash on Tuesday evening. It had started with a musical programme and was to end with a feast, the ritual for Dham puja observed a day before Nabo Borsho.
Villagers, mostly Rajbanshis, had been gearing up to end the day with a sumptuous meal of mutton curry and rice when the wind began to whistle through the trees. Before they knew it, the wind had turned into a gale. Within minutes, it took the form of a furious tornado.
Standing helplessly under the only concrete shed in the hamlet, villagers watched their huts being flattened by a swirling, monstrous column of dust that spun viciously. It rushed aimlessly from one end of the village to the other, razing everything on its path. Tin sheds were flung hundred yards away, mud walls were blown into pieces and trees uprooted by the dozen. By the time it ended, around midnight, Mehendigram resembled an ancient ruin. Villagers rushed back to salvage belongings that had been hurled away by the killer wind. But the bash had saved their lives.
There was one casualty. Fiftythree-year-old Magni Rajbanshi, who had stayed back home to look after her grandchildren, was buried under the asbestos roof of her hut.
The death toll in Bengal from Tuesday’s tornado has increased to 42. It includes 15 children, and 24 women. Around 2 lakh have been rendered homeless by the tornado that raged through the Raiganj, Karandighi, Hemtabad, Kaliaganj and Goalpokhor-2 blocks....published in TOI on 16.4.2010
Raiganj: Residents of Mehendigram in Raiganj block had gathered at the thakurdalan — the centre of the village — for its annual bash on Tuesday evening. It had started with a musical programme and was to end with a feast, the ritual for Dham puja observed a day before Nabo Borsho.
Villagers, mostly Rajbanshis, had been gearing up to end the day with a sumptuous meal of mutton curry and rice when the wind began to whistle through the trees. Before they knew it, the wind had turned into a gale. Within minutes, it took the form of a furious tornado.
Standing helplessly under the only concrete shed in the hamlet, villagers watched their huts being flattened by a swirling, monstrous column of dust that spun viciously. It rushed aimlessly from one end of the village to the other, razing everything on its path. Tin sheds were flung hundred yards away, mud walls were blown into pieces and trees uprooted by the dozen. By the time it ended, around midnight, Mehendigram resembled an ancient ruin. Villagers rushed back to salvage belongings that had been hurled away by the killer wind. But the bash had saved their lives.
There was one casualty. Fiftythree-year-old Magni Rajbanshi, who had stayed back home to look after her grandchildren, was buried under the asbestos roof of her hut.
The death toll in Bengal from Tuesday’s tornado has increased to 42. It includes 15 children, and 24 women. Around 2 lakh have been rendered homeless by the tornado that raged through the Raiganj, Karandighi, Hemtabad, Kaliaganj and Goalpokhor-2 blocks....published in TOI on 16.4.2010
People tossed about like toys, homes smashed to bits
TWISTER CUTS TERROR TRAIL
Subhro Maitra | TNN
Kulik (Raiganj): In the dead of night, they stood on a deserted highway, clutching each other by the waist, some tying gamchhas around one another in a desperate live-together-die-together bid. None of them had any hope of seeing the sun rise. When huge trees were being smashed like toothpicks, what chance did a few shivering men and women stand?
The tornado tore into them, lifting them off the ground. After brief seconds of terror, their screams drowned in the roaring wind, their feet would touch the earth. Then, the horror would start all over again.
All around them, tin roofs, branches and debris flew about like missiles. Suddenly, everything stopped. The wind vanished. The nightmare had lasted 45 minutes. Now, they have to battle its scars.
In Forest Para (so named because it is next to the biggest bird sanctuary in Bengal), the freak storm that lashed three states and killed at least 107 people at midnight on Tuesday, smashed everything around. Luckily, it killed none here. Fifty km away, in Bazar Gaon, nine people died and around 50 are still missing. No one knows where the tornado blew them away.
The storm struck when most people were outdoors, thanks to the unbearable heat. Seventy-year-old Nathni Mahato remembers smiling as the first cold gust of wind hit his face at 11.30pm. “Within seconds, I realized it was not a gentle night breeze. The wind came roaring in. It was unbelievably strong and seemed to pluck me up. I rushed into my hut to wake up my wife,” Nathni told TOI on Wednesday, standing amid the ruins of what was once his hut.
In the few seconds it took for him to reach his shanty, the wind was already tearing up everything inside. His wife cowered, terrified. Together, they battled their way out. “There was not even a second to pick up any valuables or even money. We heard a rending noise. The roof was torn off the rafters and blown away. We couldn’t believe our eyes. Then, we heard one loud noise after another,” said Nathni. It was the sound of trees crashing. “I screamed, but no sound came out. I have never been so terrified.”
A large tree tottered and slammed against an electricity tower. They both crashed. In an instant, the lights went out. In the darkness, there was only the sound of trees being wrenched from their roots, huts being smashed and people screaming.
They all ran to NH-34. In the lightning flashes, Nathni saw his hut pounded to nothing. “There was a forest bungalow nearby but going there meant risking being crushed under a falling tree. We tied ourselves to each other and prayed.”
Around the same time, Subhankar Sengupta, deputy field director of Buxa Tiger Reserve, was closing in on Raiganj on his way to Kolkata. “I have seen many a storm, but none like this. It started as a blinding sandstorm and quickly turned into a tornado. Our SUV was lifted off the ground. We could see branches twisting and flying around. Tin sheets slammed into our vehicle. It was a nightmare,” he said.
In Bazar Gaon of Karandighi, the worst affected block in the thunderstorm, every hut was levelled to the ground. “Eight or nine of our people died. It struck out of the blue. One moment we were cursing the heat and the next we were fleeing for our lives. People were lifted off their feet and hurled about like toys,” said 63-year-old Md Abdul Salam. Hundreds of villagers packed into the only pucca building around, a high school. “At daybreak, we went back to see our lives utterly devastated,” said Salam.
In Tunivita, between Forest Para and Bazar Gaon, divine intervention saved the 80-odd families. Most of them were out attending Manasa Gaan — a concert of devotional songs — when the storm struck. “Had we been sleeping, many of us would have died,” said Omar Farooq. “I left my house for the concert. Fifteen minutes later, when I staggered back in the thunderstorm, it was gone. The whole house had vanished.”
Only Kartik Biswas’ family had not gone to the programme. The villagers found the 70-year-old paralysis patient, his wife and children trapped under their collapsed house. They were rescued badly injured.
Subhro Maitra | TNN
Kulik (Raiganj): In the dead of night, they stood on a deserted highway, clutching each other by the waist, some tying gamchhas around one another in a desperate live-together-die-together bid. None of them had any hope of seeing the sun rise. When huge trees were being smashed like toothpicks, what chance did a few shivering men and women stand?
The tornado tore into them, lifting them off the ground. After brief seconds of terror, their screams drowned in the roaring wind, their feet would touch the earth. Then, the horror would start all over again.
All around them, tin roofs, branches and debris flew about like missiles. Suddenly, everything stopped. The wind vanished. The nightmare had lasted 45 minutes. Now, they have to battle its scars.
In Forest Para (so named because it is next to the biggest bird sanctuary in Bengal), the freak storm that lashed three states and killed at least 107 people at midnight on Tuesday, smashed everything around. Luckily, it killed none here. Fifty km away, in Bazar Gaon, nine people died and around 50 are still missing. No one knows where the tornado blew them away.
The storm struck when most people were outdoors, thanks to the unbearable heat. Seventy-year-old Nathni Mahato remembers smiling as the first cold gust of wind hit his face at 11.30pm. “Within seconds, I realized it was not a gentle night breeze. The wind came roaring in. It was unbelievably strong and seemed to pluck me up. I rushed into my hut to wake up my wife,” Nathni told TOI on Wednesday, standing amid the ruins of what was once his hut.
In the few seconds it took for him to reach his shanty, the wind was already tearing up everything inside. His wife cowered, terrified. Together, they battled their way out. “There was not even a second to pick up any valuables or even money. We heard a rending noise. The roof was torn off the rafters and blown away. We couldn’t believe our eyes. Then, we heard one loud noise after another,” said Nathni. It was the sound of trees crashing. “I screamed, but no sound came out. I have never been so terrified.”
A large tree tottered and slammed against an electricity tower. They both crashed. In an instant, the lights went out. In the darkness, there was only the sound of trees being wrenched from their roots, huts being smashed and people screaming.
They all ran to NH-34. In the lightning flashes, Nathni saw his hut pounded to nothing. “There was a forest bungalow nearby but going there meant risking being crushed under a falling tree. We tied ourselves to each other and prayed.”
Around the same time, Subhankar Sengupta, deputy field director of Buxa Tiger Reserve, was closing in on Raiganj on his way to Kolkata. “I have seen many a storm, but none like this. It started as a blinding sandstorm and quickly turned into a tornado. Our SUV was lifted off the ground. We could see branches twisting and flying around. Tin sheets slammed into our vehicle. It was a nightmare,” he said.
In Bazar Gaon of Karandighi, the worst affected block in the thunderstorm, every hut was levelled to the ground. “Eight or nine of our people died. It struck out of the blue. One moment we were cursing the heat and the next we were fleeing for our lives. People were lifted off their feet and hurled about like toys,” said 63-year-old Md Abdul Salam. Hundreds of villagers packed into the only pucca building around, a high school. “At daybreak, we went back to see our lives utterly devastated,” said Salam.
In Tunivita, between Forest Para and Bazar Gaon, divine intervention saved the 80-odd families. Most of them were out attending Manasa Gaan — a concert of devotional songs — when the storm struck. “Had we been sleeping, many of us would have died,” said Omar Farooq. “I left my house for the concert. Fifteen minutes later, when I staggered back in the thunderstorm, it was gone. The whole house had vanished.”
Only Kartik Biswas’ family had not gone to the programme. The villagers found the 70-year-old paralysis patient, his wife and children trapped under their collapsed house. They were rescued badly injured.
Half-Hour Spell Of Destruction Leaves Lakhs Homeless
Tornado catches N Bengal & Bihar sleeping, 107 dead
Subhro Maitra & Bhuvaneshwar Prasad | TNN
Raiganj/Purnia: Nature’s 30-minute Tandava in the dead of night left a trail of destruction along its path, with at least 72 dead and 200 injured in North Bengal and east Bihar. The toll from a tornado that whipped up wind speeds ranging from 80 to 125kmph is likely to go up as information trickles in from areas cut off after communication lines snapped.
The tornado ripped through nearly 100,000 homes in Bengal’s North Dinajpur and Jalpaiguri districts and Bihar’s Araria, Kishanganj, Supaul and Purnia. “From evidences like twisted trees and poles, the depth of the thundercloud and the volume of devastation, the storm appears to be a tornado,” said G C Debnath, director, Regional Meteorological Centre.
In North Dinajpur alone, 38 deaths were reported from four blocks that bore the brunt of the storm’s fury. Additional district magistrate P K Dutta said 18 deaths occurred in Karandighi block and eight in Raiganj. Three more died in Hemtabad and two in Kaliaganj. Most of the deaths were caused by houses collapsing. The police barracks in Raiganj was flattened.
“The casualties were high because the storm struck when people had retired for the night and were caught unawares,” Dutta said. Healthcare facilities in the districts are under tremendous strain with hundreds of injured pouring in at centres meant to treat a dozen.
Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is keeping track of rescue operations and has been constantly on the phone coordinating with officials, chief secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti said. State disaster management minister Mortaza Hussain said 20,000 tarpaulins, dry food and garments had been sent to the affected areas. Civil defence minister Srikumar Mukherjee and tourism minister Manab Mukherjee are camping in the area and supervising relief and rescue operations.
In Bihar’s Purnia, Araria, Kishanganj and Katihar districts, at least 69 people were killed and 125 injured as the storm ripped apart homes and hurtled people to death. Many died when the storm turned tin roofs into deadly missiles, slicing through people who fell in their path. The Araria district jail’s 50-foot-high wall also caved in. “We are shifting the 650 inmates of Araria jail to Purnia jail,” a jail official said.
The worst-hit was Araria, where officials put the death toll at 33.Uprooted trees blocked National Highway 34, stranding traffic for hours. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 1.5 lakh to next of kin of the deceased besides ordering construction of pucca houses under Indira Awas Yojana.
THE KILLER STORM
The tornado whipped up wind speeds ranging from 80 to 125kmph It ripped through nearly 100,000 homes in Bengal’s North Dinajpur & Jalpaiguri districts
39 deaths reported in North Dinajpur; 18 in Karandighi, 8 in Raiganj
69 deaths reported in Bihar; 33 in Araria, 29 in Purnia, 6 in Katihar, and 1 in Kishanganj ....published in TOI on 15.3.2010
Subhro Maitra & Bhuvaneshwar Prasad | TNN
Raiganj/Purnia: Nature’s 30-minute Tandava in the dead of night left a trail of destruction along its path, with at least 72 dead and 200 injured in North Bengal and east Bihar. The toll from a tornado that whipped up wind speeds ranging from 80 to 125kmph is likely to go up as information trickles in from areas cut off after communication lines snapped.
The tornado ripped through nearly 100,000 homes in Bengal’s North Dinajpur and Jalpaiguri districts and Bihar’s Araria, Kishanganj, Supaul and Purnia. “From evidences like twisted trees and poles, the depth of the thundercloud and the volume of devastation, the storm appears to be a tornado,” said G C Debnath, director, Regional Meteorological Centre.
In North Dinajpur alone, 38 deaths were reported from four blocks that bore the brunt of the storm’s fury. Additional district magistrate P K Dutta said 18 deaths occurred in Karandighi block and eight in Raiganj. Three more died in Hemtabad and two in Kaliaganj. Most of the deaths were caused by houses collapsing. The police barracks in Raiganj was flattened.
“The casualties were high because the storm struck when people had retired for the night and were caught unawares,” Dutta said. Healthcare facilities in the districts are under tremendous strain with hundreds of injured pouring in at centres meant to treat a dozen.
Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is keeping track of rescue operations and has been constantly on the phone coordinating with officials, chief secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti said. State disaster management minister Mortaza Hussain said 20,000 tarpaulins, dry food and garments had been sent to the affected areas. Civil defence minister Srikumar Mukherjee and tourism minister Manab Mukherjee are camping in the area and supervising relief and rescue operations.
In Bihar’s Purnia, Araria, Kishanganj and Katihar districts, at least 69 people were killed and 125 injured as the storm ripped apart homes and hurtled people to death. Many died when the storm turned tin roofs into deadly missiles, slicing through people who fell in their path. The Araria district jail’s 50-foot-high wall also caved in. “We are shifting the 650 inmates of Araria jail to Purnia jail,” a jail official said.
The worst-hit was Araria, where officials put the death toll at 33.Uprooted trees blocked National Highway 34, stranding traffic for hours. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 1.5 lakh to next of kin of the deceased besides ordering construction of pucca houses under Indira Awas Yojana.
THE KILLER STORM
The tornado whipped up wind speeds ranging from 80 to 125kmph It ripped through nearly 100,000 homes in Bengal’s North Dinajpur & Jalpaiguri districts
39 deaths reported in North Dinajpur; 18 in Karandighi, 8 in Raiganj
69 deaths reported in Bihar; 33 in Araria, 29 in Purnia, 6 in Katihar, and 1 in Kishanganj ....published in TOI on 15.3.2010
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