Family members of fishermen who were on board Neelkanth which went missing, in Kakdwip, West Bengal, on Monday, September 16, 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI Amid heavy rain that disrupted normal life in West Bengal, 49 fishermen, who had ventured into the Bay of Bengal from Diamond Harbour and Kwakdip near the Sundarbans on Saturday, are stranded in the sea. Local fishermen have contacted 31 men in two trawlers that had set sail from Diamond Harbour even as the third trawler with 18 fishermen is untraceable. Joy Krishna Haldar, general secretary of the United Fishermen Association of West Bengal, told The Hindu that they “pleaded” with the Coast Guard and Navy to send out search parties. “But they did not help much and said the sea was too turbulent. They said their rescue vessels are in the high seas. So we sent out six of our trawlers to rescue our fellow fishermen,” he said.While two trawlers and the fishermen are being towed back to safety, families of fishermen in the third trawler have filed missing reports in local police stations. Mr. Haldar said the 18 fishermen who had ventured from the Kwakdip coast still remained in danger as their rescue parties have failed to establish any contact.West Bengal received “largely excess rainfall” between September 13 and 15, which continued till Monday morning when the three trawlers went missing in the sea. In its official statement on September 13, the India Meteorological Department, Kolkata, (IMD) had said, “Deep depression over Gangetic West Bengal… it is likely to move slowly, nearly westwards across Gangetic West Bengal and maintain its intensity of deep depression till evening of September 15.” It had issued a warning for coastal regions saying the sea conditions may likely be “rough to very rough” and added, “Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea along and off West Bengal-Bangladesh and Odisha coasts and North Bay of Bengal till September 16.” The stranded fishermen had ventured into the deep sea in the search for hilsa, said sources.Officials also went around the coastal areas of the Sundarbans and urged fishermen not to go into the sea. They advised them to tie their trawlers and boats to coastal barricades. The local authorities have started a control room in the area to help distressed people. Houses collapse Multiple mud houses collapsed across Bengal as rain lashed 18 of the 23 districts. A woman died at the Block II area of Bankura district in a wall collapse. The victim was identified as Jyotsna Bagdi, 54. This is the second such death in the district this monsoon. In Birbhum’s Nanoor area, a family of four were injured after their kutcha house caved in. Two children, aged 11 and 14, are in critical condition. In Paschim Medinipur district, multiple areas of Ghatal have been submerged. Locals agitated as flooding has become a yearly problem in the region despite multiple assurances by the authorities.Ghatal’s Trinamool Congress MP, film actor Deepak Adhikari, visited the affected areas and assured the locals of immediate action. “Water in the river is running above danger levels. We are assessing the gravity of the situation. We will ensure there is no lack of potable water and food. We will make provisions to take immediate action in case of snake bites and provide anti-venom,” he said. Mr. Adhikari said the Ghatal Master Plan will solve the issue in the area. “We are in talks with all stakeholders. By this year-end we should be able to start the first phase of work. We cannot fight natural disasters, but what we can do is stand by our people,” he said.  Published – September 16, 2024 10:26 pm IST