NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Rediff Shopping

Shop & gift from thousands of products!   Books     Music       Apparel   Jewellery   Flowers   More..      Safe Shopping

Bengal flood toll shoots up to 129

With reports of 69 deaths from the worst affected Murshidabad district, the toll in floods in West Bengal rose to 129.

The army and air force carried out rescue operations for the fifth day on Friday.

Official sources said IAF helicopters dropped food packets at the severely-hit areas of Katwa in the Bardhaman district and Salar, Bharatpur, Baroan and Kandi in Murshidabad district for the second day.

At least 10 columns of army were engaged in relief operations in Burdwan, Murshidabad and Birbhum districts.

The sources said discharge of water from Massanjore dam and Tilpara barrage were regulated during the day with improvement in weather. Due to the overflow, the authorities had to open all sluice gates, discharging over 500,000 cusecs of water.

The Damodar Valley Corporation also discharged 150,000 cusecs of water from its Maithan and Panchet dams.

The state government had earlier ordered evacuation of people from 26 areas in six districts of south Bengal following heavy rain and a huge discharge from reservoirs and barrages. The district authorities had been asked to help the people move to safer places.

Besides Murshidabad, Birbhum accounted for 26 deaths, followed by Bardhaman 14, Midnapore 10, Nadia five, north Dinajpur and Bankura two each and Howrah one.

UNI

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report