The Indian navy has joined the rescue effort in the eastern state of Orissa where hundreds of thousands of people are still marooned by the floods.

In the worst-hit districts of Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur and Puri, people continue to grapple with hunger, thirst, snakes and diseases.

In Jajpur district, thousands have protested against inadequate relief.

Vast tracts of north and east India are under flood waters and at least 200 people have died in the last few days.

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Too little, too late

Five teams of the Indian navy, equipped with motor boats, have joined the rescue operations in the worst-hit areas of Orissa.

The Mahanadi river has breached its banks in several places in the state, flooding huge areas.

Air force and paramilitary personnel are already helping with relief and rescue measures.

But given the magnitude of the devastation, some say this is a case of too little too late.

The anger of the flood-affected people is now beginning to boil over, says the BBC's Sandeep Sahu in the state capital, Bhubaneswar.

About 5,000 people in the Badachana area, in Jajpur district, blocked the Daitari-Pradeep Express Highway for hours on Tuesday to protest against the failure of the administration to send relief material to the area.

In Naugan, in Jagatsinghpur district, a mob attacked and injured a local official and five policemen.

Government vehicles carrying relief supplies have been attacked in several other places too, our correspondent says.

Meanwhile, India's Home Minister Shivraj Patil made an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas and met the state authorities on Tuesday.

Before leaving for Delhi, Mr Patil announced a relief package of five billion rupees (£59m).

The state government had earlier asked for 15bn rupees (£179m) in assistance.

Millions affected

In Uttar Pradesh, at least 32 people have drowned or been killed by house collapses and electrocutions since Monday, state relief commissioner GK Tandon told the BBC.

The army has been asked to help rescue operations, he said. Nearly three million people from 5,000 villages in 23 districts were affected, he said.

Mr Tandon said 7,000 houses had collapsed and 350,000 had been partially damaged.

More than 50,000 people are sheltering in relief camps, he said. Food packets are being dropped in the areas still cut off by flood waters.

Officials say that several rivers flowing into Uttar Pradesh from Nepal are overflowing.

Parts of the Dudhwa tiger reserve in Uttar Pradesh are under water and officials are trying to trace tigers and other animals.

Floods have also hit the states of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Assam, killing dozens of people.

Meanwhile, a month after the Kosi river breached its bank in Nepal and flooded vast tracts of land in the northern state of Bihar, hundreds of thousands continue to live in relief camps.

(BBC)

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