CALCUTTA, SEPT 21: As about 10 million people remained marooned on the fourth day today, the state government admitted that the relief and rescue operations couldn't be undertaken effectively because of early morning rain.Even Army-operated helicopter's food-dropping operation couldn't be undertaken more than twice today as more areas were submerged.With 81 blocks of five districts severely affected, the death toll rose to 40, said deputy Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya. He said over 6 lakh people have taken shelter in the camps raised by the district administrations. However, agencies reported a higher toll of 64.The officials fear that the swelling and overflowing rivers - Bagirathi in Murshidabad, Ajoy in Burdhwan and Mauryakhi in Birbhum - would bring fresh areas under flood. The rivers have carried the flood to Hooghly. Howrah is expected to swell when the excess rain and dam waters travel downwards.The state administration, which could not reach all the affected people, particularly in Murshidabad district, has already put district authorities in Howrah and Hooghly on alert.``At one point the Tilpara dam came under threat due to excessive accumulation of rain water and the water had to be released,'' Bhattacharya told reporters.Twenty lorries with relief material also got stuck on the highway. The flash flood caused by heavy rain since Monday this week has left lakhs of people in Murshidabad, Birbhum, Nadia, Burdhwan and Hooghly homeless. Bhattacharya, who ordered a despatch of special contingency fund of over Rs 1 crore, however, could not give details about the damage and loss. Meanwhile, north Bengal remained cut off today and services of nine trains could not be resumed.The state government has ordered evacuation of people from 26 police station areas in six districts of south Bengal following heavy rain and discharge from the reservoirs and barrages. The district authorities have been asked to help people move to safer places in these areas.Birbhum district suffered most, accounting for 26 deaths, followed by Bardhaman 14, Midnapore 10, Nadia five, Murshidabad four, north Dinajpur and Bankura two each and Howrah one.Chief Minister Jyoti Basu said the situation had turned grim. ``Only military can help us. We have no dearth of funds and materials but the main problem rescuing people and supplying relief to them,'' Basu told reporters.
