press trust of india
Patna/Guwahati/Kolkata, August 17: At least 53 more deaths were Thursday reported from the deluge-battered areas of Assam, Bihar and West Bengal, where swirling floodwaters have paralysed normal life and marooned over 1.20 crore people.
The figure of flood casualties mounted to 98 in Bihar, with 26 more people losing their lives. The deluge has affected nearly 93 lakh people in 15 districts, forced postponement of examination and cancellation of trains, officials said.
The regional MeT office has forecast rain in southern Bihar for one more week. The Health Department has launched a toll-free number — 104 — officials said, adding hospitals have been directed to maintain a sufficient stock of anti-snake and anti-rabies injections.
Araria district accounted for 20 deaths, followed by East Champaran (14), West Champaran (13), Madhepura (12), Sitamarhi (11), Kisanganj (8), Purnea (5), Madhubani (5), Darbhanga (4), Saharsa (3), Sheohar (2) and Supual (1), said Disaster Management Department Principal Secretary Pratyay Amrit.
Amrit said 3.59 lakh people have been shifted to safer places. Of them, 2.13 lakh were put up in 504 relief camps. Food packets are being airdropped in inundated areas. Where flood waters have receded, they are being supplied through panchayats.
Amrit said 114 boats of the National Disaster Response Force, 92 of the State Disaster Response Force and 70 of the Army have been deployed for relief and rescue works.
Principal Secretary, Road Construction, Amrit Lal Meena said 124 roads, including national highways, have been damaged due to floods.
Meanwhile, train services continued to be affected. An East Central Railways statement said 39 trains were cancelled as water overtopped tracks. The cancelled trains included 12235 Dibrugarh-New Delhi Rajdhani, 12424 New Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani till August 20.
Floods claimed 17 more lives in six northern districts of West Bengal, even as the overall situation improved Thursday, officials said. Out of the 17 people, 15 drowned while two others died after they were bitten by snake, a senior disaster management department official said.
