The flood situation in both West and East Midnapore districts of West Bengal has eased considerably with the major rivers flowing below the danger mark, but the outbreak of diarrhoea in some of the worst-hit areas has become a cause of concern.
Medical teams have already been rushed to attend to the diarrhoea patients -- 2,995 in West Midnapore and 252 in East Midnapore -- and necessary steps are being taken to prevent any further spread of the disease.
The state's irrigation minister, Subhas Naskar, told media-persons in Kolkata on Tuesday after briefing Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee regarding the latest flood situation that normalcy was fast returning to both the districts, though vast areas of Potashpur and Bhagabanpur in East Midnapore were still heavily waterlogged.
The death toll due to floods remained at 30, with 30.74 lakh people affected in the two districts.
The chief minister has asked to identify the number of breached embankments and take steps to repair the same in the affected areas, Naskar said.
Of the four army columns stationed in East Midnapore, two have been withdrawn and airdropping of food had stopped since Monday, Naskar said.
The state government has so far sanctioned a sum of Rs 22.63 crore for relief and reconstruction purposes in the two districts.
Meanwhile, relief minister Murtaza Hussain and civil defence minister Srikumar Mukherjee visited the worst-affected areas of Sabong on Tuesday.
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