Bengal floods claim 25 lives, 22 lakh hit
Flood situation in West Bengal's West and East Midnapore districts remained grim on Friday with the death toll mounting to 25.
By PTI |
KOLKATA/KOLAGHAT: The flood situation in West Bengal���s West and East Midnapore districts remained grim on Friday with the death toll mounting to 25 as nearly 22 lakh people were hit. Elsewhere in the country, 13 more have died following floods.
With rivers in the two districts receding with discharge from Subarnarekha and other reservoirs reduced , four Army teams were engaged in rescue operations in the worst-hit areas as IAF helicopters made sorties to air-drop food packets, water pouches and medicines.
The army rescued 280 people and the Air Force 307, while 17 tonne of food was air dropped, defence officials said.
Finance minister Asim Dasgupta said 54 speedboats of the civil defence department, in addition to nine of the Army and 150 country boats were engaged in rescue and relief . Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who held a review meeting at Kolaghat in East Midnapore district, described the situation as ���very bad���.
While 17 blocks were flooded in West Midnapore, 15 were affected in East Midnapore, of which six were in very bad shape, Bhattacharjee said.
Of the 22 lakh people affected, 16 lakh were from West Midnapore and the rest from East Midnapore , he said.
���In West Midnapore, the worst affected areas are Sabang and Narayangarh. At least two lakh people are in 822 relief camps,��� he said, adding crops worth crores and 16,000 houses have been destroyed.
With rivers in the two districts receding with discharge from Subarnarekha and other reservoirs reduced , four Army teams were engaged in rescue operations in the worst-hit areas as IAF helicopters made sorties to air-drop food packets, water pouches and medicines.
The army rescued 280 people and the Air Force 307, while 17 tonne of food was air dropped, defence officials said.
Finance minister Asim Dasgupta said 54 speedboats of the civil defence department, in addition to nine of the Army and 150 country boats were engaged in rescue and relief . Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who held a review meeting at Kolaghat in East Midnapore district, described the situation as ���very bad���.
While 17 blocks were flooded in West Midnapore, 15 were affected in East Midnapore, of which six were in very bad shape, Bhattacharjee said.
Of the 22 lakh people affected, 16 lakh were from West Midnapore and the rest from East Midnapore , he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
���In West Midnapore, the worst affected areas are Sabang and Narayangarh. At least two lakh people are in 822 relief camps,��� he said, adding crops worth crores and 16,000 houses have been destroyed.
Download
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
Download
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
ADVERTISEMENT
