Orissa flood toll 35, Patil announces Rs.5 bn relief

Indo-Asian News Service
Bhubaneswar, September 23, 2008

Floods in the Mahanadi river and its tributaries following incessant rains have claimed 35 lives with six deaths reported on Tuesday. Home Minister Shivraj Patil announced preliminary assistance of Rs5 billion (Rs.500 crore) for the victims after making an aerial survey of the affected areas.

The floods have affected about four million people in 18 of Orissa's 30 districts and of them 125,000 still remain marooned, according to state government officials.

"It is a very big flood and has done a lot of damage," Patil told reporters in Bhubaneswar. The central government will provide all assistance to the state without any political consideration, he said.