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Sunday, Jun 07, 2009
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Central team visits cyclone-affected areas

Special Correspondent

Reports of people fleeing Sunderbans as water levels rise

Drinking water scarcity a major problem
Repair of the embankments progressing

KOLKATA: Some officials of the 12-member Central team which arrived here to assess the situation arising out of cyclone Aila, as well as the landslips in Darjeeling, have begun visiting the affected areas amid reports of people fleeing some of the Sunderban islands as water levels started rising in a full moon high-tide.

Scarcity of drinking water is one of the major problems and diarrhoea has affected many people. The cyclone and its aftermath have claimed 137 lives so far, affecting 67.5 lakh people.

The team — led by Ashok Lavasa, joint secretary in the Union Home Ministry — met the State Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen along with secretaries from the departments of relief, agriculture and irrigation.

State Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta told reporters later at the Secretariat that three members of the team left for the landslip-affected areas in Darjeeling.

He said that though the threat of a fresh cyclone had abated, water-levels had risen by nearly a foot at some places. The team is making its visits in two groups led by Mr. Lavasa and Vandana Dwivedi.

Mr. Sen said that the team would cover Dhamakhali, Sandeskhali, Gosaba, Hingalgunj and Patharpratima in the two worst-affected districts in North and South 24 Parganas. Mr. Dasgupta said that several Ministers were already touring the areas and seven-lakh litres of drinking water had been dispatched since Aila hit the State on May 25. He said repair of the embankments was progressing.

The team will return to New Delhi on June 9 and another round of meeting is likely with government officials.

The team, which has members from various Central Ministries, including Finance and Agriculture, and the Planning Commission raised questions on the memorandum prepared by the State government on Aila. “These were addressed,” Mr. Sen said.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee earlier wrote to the Prime Minister urging him to sanction Rs. 1,000 crores to help the State combat the damage. He also urged the Centre to send a team to assess the situation.

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