The flood situation in both West and East Midnapore districts of West Bengal further improved on Monday with the major rivers receding in the absence of fresh rain and water discharge by dams.

The floods claimed 30 lives (19 in West and 11 in East Midnapore) and affected a population of 30 lakh in 32 blocks encompassing 7,810 villages, state relief minister, Murtaza Hussain, said on Monday after reviewing the situation at a high-level meeting.

With the improvement in the situation, many people had started returning home from relief camps where nearly four lakh had taken shelter, he said.

Four teams of Army rescuers were still engaged in operations in the two districts where food packets were likely to be airdropped from Indian Air Force helicopters during the day.
 
The state government has so far sanctioned Rs 22.50 crore as flood relief in the two districts, while a sum of Rs 1.55 crore for West and Rs 1.80 crore for East Midnapore had been sanctioned from the Contingency Fund, Hussain said.

Meanwhile, breaches in the embankments of major rivers like Keleghai and Kapaleswari were being repaired.

Hussain said the situation at Bhaganpur (I and II) and Potashpur (II) in East Midnapore was still alarming.
 
"Till Sunday, many areas were inaccessible even by speedboats," he said.

Four tonnes of food were airdropped yesterday in Sabong, Mugberia, Potashour, Pingla and Bhagabanpur.

The relief minister said 1,800 tonnes of rice and 1.3 lakh pieces of tarpaulins were despatched to West Midnapore and 1,700 tonnes of rice and 1.18 lakh pieces of tarpaulins to East Midnapore.

Medical teams were rushed to West Midnapore (245) and East Midnapore (47) districts where halogen tablets, ORS, disinfectants, bleaching powder, AVS and other essentials were distributed.