rediff.com: Floods in West Bengal

The flood situation in West Bengal improved marginally on Saturday even as 82 fresh deaths were reported overnight taking the toll from the nature's fury to 155. However, there was no improvement in the situation in worst-hit Murshidabad district.

Chief Minister Jyoti Basu told reporters in Calcutta that, save Murshidabad, the flood situation in other districts had improved slightly.

Forty-eight fresh deaths were reported from Murshidabad with another 160 missing, Bardhaman (4), Birbhum (12), Hooghly (two), Nadia (9), Howrah (two) and Midnapore (five), official sources said.

Deputy Chief Minister Budhhadev Bhattacharjee informed that seven army columns have been deployed for rescue work, but many of those could not reach the affected areas due to disruption in road communication.

Army helicopters air-dropped food packets in Murshidabad, Birbhm, Nadia, Hooghly and Bardhaman carrying out four to six sorties in each district for the third consecutive day, Bardhaman District Magistrate Swami Singh said.

In Murshidabad, cut off from the rest of the state for the past five days, the situation was grave with the toll rising to 59 from 11 on Friday and 160 persons were reported missing as the swollen Padma and Bhairab rivers were still rising.

District Magistrate Vivek Kumar said all the 26 blocs were inundated and a population of 4.6 million hit with the situation in Kandi, Beldanga I and II being critical. At Khargram in Kandi, thousands of affected people had taken shelter on trees, he said.

Although many rivers were receding, the Bhagirathi and some others in Murshidabad were flowing above the extreme danger level along with those in Burdwan and Birbhum, while rivers in Nadia were flowing above the danger level. "If the level of water release from dams could be brought down, then the rivers would recede further," Finance minister Asim Dasgupta said.

Stating that the immediate priority before the government was to continue rescue operations, Dasgupta said so far 1.08 million people had been rescued. Besides three IAF helicopters and one of the state government, 850 mechanised boats, 40 state-owned mechanised boats and 26 high-speed army boats were being used for rescue operations, he said adding one more IAF chopper was likely to be pressed into service.

Dasgupta said six state-owned launches were being sent with relief material, drugs and medical teams to the affected areas. Of these, two each would go to Kalna in Burdwan district, besides Krishnagar and Berhampore in Murshidabad district. Some private launches were also being hired.

According to Dasgupta, 12 of the 22 medical teams already sent had reached the affected areas. The state government had sent 25,000 tonne of foodgrains, 386,000 pieces of tarpaulin and 150,000 pieces of clothing to the affected areas.

Power supply to Berhampore in Murshidabad district and Rampurhat in Birbhum district has been restored. The PHE department had been instructed to maintain drinking water supply with tankers and also by sinking tubewells in areas where the water was receding, he said.

To a question, Dasgupta said the government had spent Rs 120 million on relief. The average daily expense was Rs 15million. The state government had sent a report on the floods to the Union Agriculture Ministry and a copy of it had been sent to the Prime Minister's Office.

The state government would give Rs 20,000 as ex-gratia to families of the victims while the Centre would pay Rs 50,000 from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund.

Asked whether there was any law and order problem over distribution of relief material, Deputy Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who is also the state home minister, said a group of people who had come to collect relief in one of the affected areas fired one round, but no one was injured. The minister, however, could not give details of the incident.


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Bengal floods claim 82 more lives, but situation improving