Posted on 08/05/2005 6:36:33 AM PDT by Our_Man_In_Gough_Island
The death toll from last week's floods in India's western state of Maharashtra has risen to 1,023 people. Many people remain missing after 10 days of record rainfall, making it likely that the death toll will rise.
Relief work has been stepped up across the state. Air and road services have been restored.
But millions of people, particularly in rural areas, still lack basic amenities and an overflowing dam poses a new flood threat in Mumbai (Bombay).
In Mumbai the rains have eased and city officials claim that life in the city is returning to normal.
"It [Mumbai] has got back to the state it was before the rains," Mumbai police commissioner AN Roy told the AFP news agency.
"There are maybe [a] few complaints here and there. We are prepared to handle them," he said.
Challenges ahead
Some complain that aid has been slow to reach outlying areas The situation in many areas outside Mumbai, however, remains far from normal.
"What we have now is what's left on our bodies," one villager told the BBC's Zubair Ahmed in Diva village, 70km from Mumbai.
In this village, 22 people died in the floods but the 10,000 survivors have lost their houses and paddy fields - their main source of income.
Naval rescue and relief teams have been dispatched to southern and south-western regions of Maharashtra.
More than 20 million people have been affected by the floods across the state and many remain in need of basic help.
Meanwhile, there are fears that diseases could spread in the flooded areas.
Why didn't these people get out? I live on a river that floods frequently and have enough sense to watch the weather and act with any hint of rising water.
They don't have the same comforts and tools as you - radio and TV may be there, but foot and cart make up a lot of their transportation options. Add that to a horrendous 37+ inches of rain in a 24Hr. period and it is easy to see where they couldn't be prepared. Prayers would be more useful than scoffing at their lack of Boy Scout skills.
This is a scheduled event. If there isn't an annual devastating flood, then India goes in to a drought famine.
This is not a case of " the river" flooding. About one third to one half of entire city Bombay has been under water for over a week.
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