The Hindu : National : Rain claims 11 lives in West Bengal

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Wednesday, Sep 26, 2007
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Rain claims 11 lives in West Bengal

Staff Reporter

Kolkata: Vast areas of Kolkata remained waterlogged and the situation in districts of south Bengal was grim on Tuesday even as there was a let-up after three days of heavy rainfall.

Eleven persons have lost their lives across Kolkata and the adjoining districts. The rain had affected around four lakh people and destroyed, fully and partially nearly 40,000 dwellings, said Asim Dasgupta, Finance Minister. Thousands of people remain marooned in the affected areas. The government has allotted Rs.12 crore for relief and restoration purposes, he said. Till morning, the city received around 174 mm of rainfall over 24 hours.

Boats were pressed into action in the inundated city neighbourhoods to ferry people as well as drinking water to the affected families. There were reports of water gushing into houses in the low-lying areas.

The Army was asked to be on stand-by and assist the civil administration in Howrah, Hooghly and Paschim Medinipur districts, where the threat of fresh floods loomed large in the wake of a heavy discharge of water from the reservoirs following heavy rain in the catchment areas.

With railway tracks still submerged, train services remained affected.

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