Full moon high tide in Aila-hit Sundarbans

Patharpratima (WB), Jun 7 (PTI) The 'bhora kotal' or full
moon high tide at Sundarbans in India's eastern state has
pushed the river water four feet above the normal level,
submerged mangrove forests and inundated low lying areas, but
did not damage life and property in the Aila-battered area
Sunday.

Official sources said the full moon high tide, which is
considerably higher than the normal high tides in the riverine
area, began at 6 am but there was no damage to life and
property as the weather remained clear with no rain or storm.

Tide water was seeping in through breached points of the
river embankments, which are yet to be repaired.

A PTI correspondent visiting Patharpratima and nearby
areas saw large number of carcasses of domestic animals,
poultry birds and innumerable roofs of thatched huts, which
had been caught up in the mangrove near the river banks and
floating in the tide water.

The tide will ebb at 1200 IST and return again at 1800
IST but there was no fear of the condition worsening as the
weather would hold, met office sources said.

Minister of state for Information and Broadcasting,
C M Jatua visited Khetromohanpur in Patharpratima and met the
affected people, who told him that relief was being given to
them by the government and the NGOs.

Jatua appealed that relief should be given to all the
affected people irrespective of their political affiliations.
The relief should continue till they return to their homes.

State Sundarban Development Minister Kanti Ganguly and
Irrigation Minister Subash Naskar are continuing their
supervision of relief works in Lahiripur and Kumirmari areas.

Over a lakh of people had been evacuated from Gosaba,
considered the gateway of the Sundarbans, and other areas in
the past few days.

Official sources said the plastic water pouches, which
had been distributed among the affected people as drinking
water, was floating in the river and along with the carcasses
were feared to pollute the water in future.

Enteric diseases have already broken out in the
Sundarbans and six have died in Gosaba so far, the sources
said.

A 11-member central team will reach the Sundarbans later
Sunday for an on-the-spot understanding of the situation. Half
the team would study the situation in the Gosaba area and the
other would go to Sandeshkhali and Hingalganj in North 24
Parganas, the sources said.

The government said 75 per cent of the 800 km long
embankment in South 24 Parganas district has been repaired
since the cyclone, which claimed at least 38 lives so far, hit
the area. A total 17,000 domestic animals, 27,000 poultry
birds and 1,000 other birds and animals also perished in the
calamity. PTI CORR
AM
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