Sonia to undertake aerial survey of flood-hit areas

New Delhi, Aug.6: Congress President Sonia Gandhi will undertake an aerial survey of flood ravaged Bihar and Assam on Tuesday. Party sources said that Gandhi, who is also the chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA), would assess the extent of the damage caused by the natural calamity.

A delegation of UPA leaders from Bihar led by Railways Minister Lalu Prasad met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today, and apprised him of the situation in the state, where over 75 persons have died.

Over 11 million people spread over 4,822 villages in Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Saharsa, East Champaran, Supaul, Darbhanga, Patna, Bhagalpur, West Champaran, Katihar, Madhubani, Samastipur, Sheohar, Nalanda, Khagaria, Gopalganj, Madhepura, Araria and Begusarai have been affected by the floods, State Disaster Management department sources said.

IAF helicopters are conducting regular sorties to airdrop food packets in flood-hit areas.

The death toll is 81 so far, with Samastipur District accounting for the maximum number of deaths (15), followed by Muzaffarpur (13), East Champaran (nine), Bhagalpur (seven), Madhubani (six), Begusarai and Sitamarhi (five each), Saharsa and West Champaran (three each) and Madhepura (one).

Crops in 9.18 lakh hectares worth over Rs 93.36 crore have been destroyed, while 70,603 houses were damaged, causing losses of about Rs 22.01 crore. Government property worth Rs 12.12 crore was also destroyed in the floods.

Major rivers, including Burhi Gandak, Bagmati, Adhvara, Kosi, Mahananda and Gandak continue to flow above the above danger mark at several places, a Central Water Commission report said.

Some river, however, are said to be receding after weeks of being in spate.

In Assam, where up to three million people have taken refuge in emergency camps, the threat of more flooding around the Brahmaputra river has receded, but the hot, humid aftermath has led to concerns of outbreaks of malaria and encephalitis.

Last week, Indian Government figures, cited by Unicef, showed that over 1,100 people had died since June. Aid agencies are gearing up for a massive response to the annual downpour. The Red Cross and other relief agencies have launched an emergency Asia Floods Appeal to raise funds for the millions of people affected.

ANI>