Two people have died and 3,200 houses have been damaged in the severe flooding at Sabang in West Midnapore district of West Bengal, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari confirmed on Thursday, 20 August. Adhikari visited the flood-affected areas in person, conducting an aerial survey of the situation before chairing an administrative review meeting at the local block development office with district officials, legislators, and ministers.

Compensation for Affected Families

Chief Minister Adhikari announced that each family whose home has been damaged will receive a compensation of ₹30,000 from the state government. He added that the administration would also extend support to farmers whose crops were destroyed by the floodwaters.

'Two persons have died so far and 3,200 houses have been damaged. Each affected family whose house had been damaged will be provided with a compensation of ₹30,000 by the state government,' Adhikari told reporters after the review meeting.

Relief for Farmers and Mat-Stick Makers

Farmers enrolled under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana will be eligible to claim crop-loss compensation through the insurance scheme, the Chief Minister said. However, Adhikari acknowledged that a separate strategy still needs to be worked out for mat-stick makers — a traditional cottage industry in the region — who are not covered under any existing insurance framework.

CM's First Ground Visit in Nearly Four Decades, He Claims

Adhikari noted that flood-affected residents told him that no Chief Minister had physically visited Sabang's flood-hit areas since 1986 — a claim he used to draw a contrast with the previous Trinamool Congress-led administration. 'The previous government did not consider the people of this area as human beings. I have a human connection with them. That is why I came here. My life begins with rural Bengal and will also end with rural Bengal,' he said.

Arambagh on Alert as DVC Dam Release Looms

The Chief Minister also flagged a potential secondary flood risk in Arambagh in Hooghly district, where the situation remains stable for now. He said the administration is closely monitoring the area and warned that conditions could deteriorate if the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) releases fresh water from its dams. 'I have asked the Hooghly district administration to remain alert,' Adhikari said.

With the flood situation in Sabang still evolving, the state government's ability to execute relief swiftly — particularly for uninsured communities like mat-stick makers — will be the defining measure of its response.