17 more die in West Bengal floods, overall situation improves

Floods claimed 17 more lives in six northern districts of West Bengal, even as the overall situation improved today, officials said.
Out of the 17 people, 15 drowned while two others died after they were bitten by snake, a senior disaster management department official said here.
Forty-nine people have died in flood-related incidents in the districts of Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Coochbehar, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Malda since July 21, the official said.
As rains have abated, water has started receding and the situation has improved a lot, he said.
"We are monitoring the situation round-the-clock and doing everything to help the affected people," he said, adding there is no dearth of relief materials in the districts.

Meanwhile, the state government has written a letter to the civil aviation ministry on the "exorbitant" prices of tickets by various airlines between Kolkata and Bagdogra, the lone functioning airport in north Bengal.
"The chief secretary has sent a letter to the secretary of the civil aviation ministry seeking his intervention as the airlines are taking advantage of the situation and charging exorbitantly for a ticket between Bagdogra and Kolkata," Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.