August 06, 2007	Monday	Rajab 21, 1428

GUWAHATI, Aug 5: Fears grew on Sunday that epidemics would strike the millions marooned or forced from their homes by South Asia's catastrophic floods as the death toll climbed to 330 and criticism of relief efforts spread.

In the eastern Indian state of Assam, where up to three million people took refuge in emergency camps or were cut off in their villages, receding waters and soaring temperatures fed concerns of malaria and encephalitis outbreaks.

“We are really worried about the outbreak of an epidemic in Assam now,” Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said.

“The damaged caused by floods this year has incurred a huge loss to properties and human beings.”

The last fortnight has seen some of the worst floods in living memory affecting about 35 million people in the region, 10 million of them made homeless or left stranded. Valuable crops have been destroyed as rivers burst their banks. Much of eastern India and two-thirds of Bangladesh's 64 districts are inundated.

Health workers already struggling to cope with large numbers of fever and dysentery cases fear that, as many people return to rebuild their homes, stagnant water and mud will provide ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

In impoverished Bihar state, four air force helicopters dropped food, medicines and clothing to some of the 10 million affected in the state, where floods have worsened.

“Each pilot is carrying out 12 sorties a day and they have reported huge devastation in central and north Bihar,” said Ramesh Kumar Das, a Defence Ministry spokesman in Kolkata.—Reuters