Seventeen people have died and over nine lakh people have been affected in the nearly fortnight-long spell of rains in West Bengal. Ten districts have been affected by heavy floods, Disaster Management Minister Javed Khan has said in the Assembly. He said that 25,750 mud houses have been damaged or washed away due to the rains caused by a depression. The districts affected were Malda, Murshidabad, Purba Medinipur, Howrah, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Bankura, Purulia and Darjeeling. He said that in Bankura alone, nine people have died. Pointing out that relief has been extended to the affected people, he said the situation could be managed better by some advance planning by his department.