THE HINDU, AUGUST 15, 2006
New Delhi, Aug 15. (UNI): Overnight downpours that lashed Bhopal and the surrounding districts of Madhya Pradesh killed twenty more people taking the toll to 55 today, while the flood situation remained grim in North Karnataka with Krishna river still in spate.
Six people remain missing in Madhya Pradesh and with three more bodies recovered overnight, the number of deaths in the State Capital alone climbed to 15. Five people were killed and seven hurt in Hoshangabad district.
With the wet spell slackening in Bhopal and the neighbouring districts, the situation has improved but scores of villages are surrounded by floodwater in Hoshangabad, Guna and Balaghat districts.
Soldiers are aiding the civil administration in Hoshangabad as water from the Hathedi, Kevlari and Khedi rivers cut off Rajeda, Bamangaon and Khediahir villages trapping at least 1,000 people.
In eastern Madhya Pradesh, about 50 villages are cut off in Balaghat district. The water level in the area’s chief river Benganga rose followed by release of water from the Bheemgarh dam in neighbouring Seoni district.
Following an increase in the release of water from Maharashtra, the inflow into Krishna river rose to 3.92 lakh cusecs. 58 villages continued to remain marooned, while 28 others were partially affected. The situation remained grim as 4.26 lakh people were affected in the taluks of Chikodi, Raibag and Athni.
Meanwhile, Vadodara district administration today dispatched a truck-load of food packets to the flood-affected people in Surat.
As many as 14,686 food packets, 1,115 packets of biscuits and 11,287 water pouches were dispatched. Cash doles, totalling Rs 38.88 lakh, were disbursed to 82,500 flood-affected people in the district. Apart from this, a total amount of Rs 109.50 lakh was disbursed to those whose houses had been damaged in the floods. An average of Rs 1,250 per person has been given as cash dole so far.

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