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Bengal flood toll may touch 1000 mark

Five hundred people were killed in Murshidabad and 300 in Birbhum, reports said.

Deputy Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee confirmed 652 deaths and said 231 people were missing in the devastating floods.

Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta said the situation still was critical in North 24 Parganas and Nadia.

Dasgupta said the flood water had spread to fresh areas of North 24 Parganas, creating more difficulties for the authorities.

The state government has mounted relief operations and spent narly Rs 800 million. More than six million people have been rescued and sent to over 6000 relief camps.

Meanwhile, Union Agriculture Minister Nitish Kumar made an aerial survey of the flood-hit districts.

Kumar is to meet Chief Minister Jyoti Basu and his cabinet colleagues on Saturday afternoon.

An advanced central party led by joint secretary to the agriculture minister, Anil Sinha, also made an aerial survey of the flooded areas on Friday and met state government officials.

At least 15 army columns and 45 speedboats have been pressed into service in addition to over 3000 country boats. Air Force helicopters dropped food packets at Kaliganj, Krishnaganj and Tehatta in Nadia.

The helicopter, hired by the state government, carried medicines to Krishnagar in Nadia. About 200 trucks carrying relief material, which were held up because of disruption in road communication, have started moving towards the affected areas.

UNI

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