Seven Army columns carrying out rescue ops in flood-hit areas of Bengal: Defence official

At least seven columns of army personnel have been deployed for flood relief operations in three districts of West Bengal following unprecedented rainfall over the past few days in various parts of the state, a defence official said in Kolkata on Friday.

The Army has deployed two columns in West Bardhaman, three in Hooghly and two in Howrah, he said.

Each Army column has around 70 personnel.

"As many as 91 people have been rescued by Army teams from the flood-affected areas," the official said.

Apart from the Army, rescue and relief teams have also been deployed by the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and civil defence, official sources said.

Asansol in West Bardhaman registered its highest-ever rainfall in 24 hours at 434.5 mm till Thursday morning, while Bankura, the headquarters town of Bankura district, experienced record 354.3 mm rain during the period, according to the Met department.

Other places which recorded very heavy rain in that period include Durgapur at 200 mm, Purulia at 170 mm, Kangsabati at 140 mm and Phulberia at 110 mm, the department said.

The torrential rain caused many rivers, including Darakeswar and Ajay, to overflow, and inundated large tracts of farmland, low-lying areas and parts of national and state highways in several parts of Bengal.