Flood situation eases in West Bengal, death toll rises to 9

KOLKATA: Flood situation in five West Bengal districts improved on Saturday with lesser discharge from the DVC reservoirs and in absence of rain, even as the death toll rose to nine after a body was found floating on an overflowing river.
Finance minister Asim Dasgupta said the overall flood situation had improved in the five districts with water discharge from the reservoirs been reduced to 21,000 cusecs during the day.
The floods, triggered by heavy rain and reservoir release, have affected about 18 lakh people and caused crop damage on 82,000 hectare land.
The minister said the state government had so far sanctioned Rs 22 crore for relief.