Kolkata, Oct 10 (IANS) The situation in the flood and landslide-affected hills in North Bengal on Friday inched towards further normalcy over the last 24 hours, with no fresh casualties reported during that period.

The total official death toll as of Thursday morning, the last reported, was 39, as per figures compiled by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the district administrations in Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri. The number remained the same on Friday morning as well.

The work for the restoration of necessary infrastructure facilities gained further pace during the last 24 hours. With the repair work of many roads in the hills being completed, communicability in the areas has improved. Although not fully, electricity connections have also been restored in the hills to a great extent.

However, it is quite uncertain when the normal academic exercise in the schools located in the hills would resume, considering that most of these institutions there have been majorly damaged because of the flood and the landslides.

As per initial estimates, a total of 18 schools in the hills of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong have been fully or partially damaged, and it is uncertain as yet when these institutions will be functional again.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be leaving for North Bengal again on October 13, and this time her tour will be restricted only to the hills. Earlier this week, the Chief Minister visited North Bengal, and during that time, her movements were restricted mainly to the plains.

Meanwhile, the loss due to the damage to state property in the two hill districts of West Bengal, namely Darjeeling and Kalimpong, amid the natural calamities in the hills, Terai, and Dooars regions of the state, has been provisionally estimated at Rs 10.62 crore.

However, this is not the final figure, and the exact loss due to damage to public property in these two hill districts will only be available after some time.

The loss figures for the two districts of Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar, covering the Terai and Dooars regions, are yet to be calculated, and once done, the total loss of state property in all four districts combined would be much more.

As per the loss details compiled and provided by the district authorities of Darjeeling and Kalimpong on Thursday, the loss had been because of the destruction or damage to roads, culverts, and water tanks, among others.

The blocks in the hills where the damage to roads has been maximum include Pedong, Lava, Gorubathan, and Kalimpong.

–IANS

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