The West Bengal Panchayat Department has asked all district magistrates (DMs) to submit an immediate report on the condition of rural roads damaged by recent rains and floods, a senior official said on Friday.

P. Ulganathan, secretary of the Department of Panchayats and Rural Development, has written to the DMs requesting a detailed report on the extent of road damage in rural areas, the official added.

In addition to the roads, the department also requested information on the condition of culverts and other infrastructure that were affected by the floods.

"The department has sought a quick report on how many kilometres of roads in rural Bengal were damaged, the type of damage and their present condition. The letter has also asked the DMs to mention how many culverts were affected in the floods," the official told PTI.

The DMs were also asked to assess the cost of repairing the roads and replacing the damaged culverts, along with an estimate of the expenses required for the maintenance and restoration of the infrastructure.

The department emphasised the urgency of this task and requested that the reports be submitted before the start of the Durga Puja vacation.

Recent floods have wreaked havoc in several districts across the state, particularly in south Bengal.

Districts such as Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Birbhum, Bankura, Howrah, Hooghly, Purba Medinipore, and Paschim Medinipore have been severely impacted. The floods also affected the northern districts of Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, and Malda, where rising waters from Nepal’s overflowing Koshi River caused significant damage.

In response to the crisis, the central government has allocated a relief fund of Rs 468 crore to assist with recovery and rebuilding efforts in the flood-affected areas of Bengal.

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