Flood water recedes in parts of East and West Midnapore

Tag : other blocks
The flood situation in Bengal remained grim on Saturday thoughwater receded in some parts of West and East Midnapore districts.
With the fear of diseases and epidemics looming large in theaffected areas, the state government has issued an alert in the twodistricts and rushed in 10 medical teams. The districtadministration, however, discontinued air droppings today.
Official sources put the death toll at 27, but expects more bodiesto be recovered after the waters subside. A total of 27 lakh peoplehave been affected. Water is receding in some parts of theaffected districts. Our relief and rescue operations arecontinuing. After the flood subsides, there may be a possibility ofan epidemic and spread of diseases. We have alerted the affecteddistricts and our health department teams are already inoperation, said Health minister Surya Kanta Mishra.
Relief minister Murtaza Hussain said: Twenty-seven lakh peopleliving in 7,810 villages have been affected. Ten lakh pieces ofhalogen tablets, 40,000 packets of ORS, 170 vials of anti-venomserum and 1.55 lakh water pouches have already been distributed.
Hussain held a meeting with state Civil Defence minister SrikumarMukherjee and Chief Secretary Amit Kiran Deb at the WritersBuildings on Saturday. Flood waters continue to inundate vast areasin Sabong, Pingla, Daton, Narayangarh, Belda and other blocks ofWest Midnapore. In East Midnapore, among the 25 blocks, 15 remainedcompletely inundated. In West Midnapore alone, nearly 3 lakh peopleare currently housed in makeshift camps in different areas.
West Midnapore District Magistrate N S Nigam said: Camps have beenset up in local schools, embankments and on high ground. In thepast 24 hours, only 35 mm rainfall has been recorded. With thewater receding, we fear that there may be an epidemic and havealready started to disinfect tubewells, wells and ponds. Twohundred medical teams are working in my district alone. Chlorinetablets are being distributed along with water pouches and otherrelief materials, he added.
The district administration has made special arrangements throughthe state Animal Welfare department to dispose carcasses ofdomestic animals, which now pose a health risk. There are hundredsof carcasses. We have made arrangements to dispose themimmediately, said Nigam. Army jawans are helping people in Pinglaand Sabong blocks, which are the worst-hit.
Complaints poured in from Opposition parties who alleged thatrelief materials are yet to reach the far-flung areas. In EastMidnapore, over 2 lakh people are spending their days in makeshiftcamps. Trinamool Congress leader Suvendu Adhikary said: In areaslike Patashpur and Bahagabanpur 1 and 2 blocks, no relief materialshave reached yet. People are sitting on rooftops and trees for thepast three to four days without any food or water. We havecontacted the district administration, but they are not listeningto us.
In Kolkata, 50 buses were sent to Puri by the state Transportdepartment to bring in stranded tourists. The buses left for Puriin the evening from the Salt Lake Stadium. Passengers will have toshell out Rs 225 for each seat. Over 5,000 tourists are stranded inPuri and in other parts of Orissa as the floods have cut off raillinks.