West Bengal flood situation improves

Kolkata: The overall situation today improved further in the flood-hit six districts of north West Bengal as no major rainfall was recorded in the past three days in the region. Shops and markets are slowly opening and people are trying to resume normal life. 

There was no report of any death in the last 24 hours, a senior official of the West Bengal disaster management department said, adding the authorities were closely monitoring the situation as the water was receding in several areas, putting them at risk of water-borne diseases.

So far 55 people have died in the floods since July 21. Nearly 55 lakh people have been hit by floods in Cooch Behar, South Dinajpur, North Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Malda districts.Around 75,202 houses have been destroyed and 2,15,762 damaged in the flood. 

“Water has receded in many areas following which people are returning home from relief shelters. We are trying to help them with relief material such as food, rice, medicines, drinking water in pouches," they said. "We need to be cautious. When water recedes, it often leads to the utbreak of water-borne diseases,” an official said. CM Mamata Banerjee left for Malda to take stock of the flood situation.