Rains have claimed 21 lives in a week in West Bengal. Around 25 lakh people have been affected by incessant rains whose ravages spilled over to 14 districts against the nine announced earlier by the State government.

Five persons died of snake bites, 11 in wall and roof collapse, three drowned and one was electrocuted.

The second battalion of the National Disaster Response Force, which was kept ready on Saturday, has been deployed in Udaynarainpur in Howrah, which the State government declared as hit by floods caused by discharge of water from the reservoirs of the Damodar Valley Corporation. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited this place on Friday, after which she asked her Ministers and legislators to fan out to all the affected areas to do everything possible to relieve people's sufferings.

While water discharge from the DVC and other dams continues, the government said that around 1.08 lakh cusecs of water is going to be discharged from the Durgapur barrage and 20,000 cusecs from the Kangsabati barrage. The DVC has released 74,000 cusecs.

Breaches in some embankments are being repaired and a close vigil is being kept to spot them.

Since Sunday, the rains have abated in South Bengal but isolated heavy rainfall has been forecast in the sub-Himalayan areas during the next 24 hours.

Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh met the departmental secretaries to review the situation, especially distribution of relief materials over which ministers and legislators recently faced the ire of the affected people. Altogether 1.56 lakh houses have been damaged, some totally, leaving many without a roof. The government said that 281 relief camps have been set up and 28,950 affected people have taken shelter in them.

The Public Health Department has distributed 5.9 lakh water pouches as water-borne diseases are breaking out. Mobile water treatment units are also being sent to the various districts. The Family and Welfare Department has deployed 349 medical teams where anti-venom syrups, oral rehydration system sachets, halogen tablets and bleaching powder are being distributed.

281 relief camps set up sheltering 28,950 affected people

Isolated heavy rainfall forecast in the sub-Himalayan areas