Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to visit the earthquake-affected areas of the state on Monday to personally oversee the relief operations at the India-Nepal international border.
“She [Mamata] will go to north Bengal on Monday to oversee the relief operations and understand what more the state needs to do,” Trinamool Congress (TMC) officials said.
This will be Mamta’s second visit to the area after the April 25 earthquake, which killed more than 7,000 people and injured more than 14,000. West Bengal was also affected by the quake that recorded 7.8 on the Richter scale.
Three people were killed in Jalpaiguri, Naxalbari and Siliguri districts. Several injured, including 43 schoolchildren, have been admitted to the government hospital in Siliguri.
During her previous visit, Mamata had formed a crisis management group, headed by Director General of Police Raj Kanojia, to deal with the impact of the earthquake in the north Bengal districts and said that monetary assistance would be sought from the Central government after an assessment of the damages.
Initial reports stated thousands of houses along the international border were damaged and utilities system were also affected, as electricity was switched off for several days after the earthquake.
“Water distribution system and sewerage lines were also affected and initial reports suggest that the government has to spend millions to restore it,” an official in Siliguri district said.
“Some of the 108 Bengal citizens who had gone to Nepal have returned, but at least 49 of them are still untraceable. We are in touch with the authorities there and also with the country’s National Disaster Management team that is working on the ground, to rescue people all over Nepal,” an official said.
