Fear of epidemic grips 21 mn people hit by floods

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi/ Dhaka, Aug 6: Fear of rising epidemic gripped people affected by floodwaters in parts of India and Bangladesh with aid agencies putting the figure displaced by deluge to 21 million.

'Save the Children', UK-based aid agency working in the Subcontinent, has estimated that that almost 14 million people in India and another seven million in Bangladesh are feeling the impact of the floods.

Death toll in the floods has risen to over 300 with large number of areas still remaining submerged in water.

The three States of Bihar, Assam and Uttar Pradesh are worst hit by incessant Monson rains that led to river breaching its banks and inundating large parts of the States.

After wreaking havoc in Muzzafarpur and Darbhanga districts in Bihar, the floodwater has now affected Araria, which has led to people moving out of area in search of safer places.

The State administration is already taking help of Indian Army and Indian Air Force for rescue and relief operations.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has assured help but situation remains grim in most parts of the State.

Kumar has directed his ministers to visit the flood affected areas and camp there to oversee the relief work.

&34;They will camp in areas assigned to them to supervise relief operations until the situation normalises,&34; Kumar told reporters.

The Health Department is taking precautionary measures to tackle any emergency if there is outbreak of malaria or encephalitis epidemics, or any waterborne diseases.

In Uttar Pradesh and Assam too, deluge has led the administration coping with the relief work.

While the snow-fed Himalayan rivers- Burhi Gandak, Bagmati, Adhvara, Kosi, Mahananda and Gandak- are flowing above the danger mark, incessant rains have added to the woes of the people, most of them either fleeing to higher, dry areas or taking shelter on rooftops.

Twenty Districts of Uttar Pradesh are reeling under flood and the Army has been called out in Barabanki and Gorkahpur districts.

In Bangladesh, situation remains grim, as 42 of the country's 64 districts have been inundated with floodwater.

With parts of capital Dhaka submerging in the floodwater, many residents of the city have gone away to other cities.

Shortages of food and safe drinking water have led to people jostling for relief materials in the camps that have been erected near highways.

There are reports of outbreaks of diarrhoea, dysentery and other waterborne diseases in the flood shelters.

ANI

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