Death toll rises to 40 in flood and landslide-hit Bengal

Kolkata, Oct 11 (IANS) With the recovery of one more body during the last 24 hours, the total number deaths in the flood and landslide-affected hills, Terai and Dooars regions of West Bengal has risen to 40.

The total official death toll as of Thursday morning, the last reported, was 39, according to figures compiled by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the district administrations in Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri. Now, the death toll has climbed to 40.

On Friday, the body of a woman was recovered near Tudu Tea Garden at Bamundanga in Nagrakata in Jalpaiguri district. The body came floating in the flowing stream of a local river, confirmed an official of the Jalpaiguri district administration.

The deceased is yet to be identified.

Meanwhile, amid complaints from a number of local people in the hills, Terai, and Dooars regions, that a number of crucial identity and other important documents have been destroyed or washed away in the disaster, the state government has decided to run special camps in the region to address the issues relating to loss or damage of the documents.

Already, the district police authorities in Jalpaiguri-adjacent Alipurduar district have started operating some mobile camps in certain pockets of the district for that purpose.

"In the present situation, it is difficult for the affected people to reach the police station and report their loss of documents. Hence, we started some mobile camps in the districts to address the issues of the affected people. These mobile camps will continue operating till the situation becomes normal," said Alipurduar Superintendent of Police Y. Raghuvamshi.

Meanwhile, another that is looming issue in the jungle-adjacent areas in the North Bengal districts of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, and Alipurduar is that, following the lack of necessary food in the jungles following the disaster, there are chances of the wild animals reaching the localities in search of food, thus triggering the possibilities of a rise in man-animal conflict in the area.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be leaving for North Bengal again on October 13, and this time her tour will be restricted only to the hills.

Earlier this week, the Chief Minister visited north Bengal, and during that time, her movements were restricted mainly to the plains.

--IANS

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