A total of 29.57 lakh people continue to reel in one of the worst floods in five north east districts of Bihar, which has claimed 95 lives so far, despite improvement in the situation on Wednesday with water level receding fast in the affected areas.

Of these, 36 deaths occurred in the five north eastern districts alone with Saharsa accounting for 16, Madhepura (15) Supaul (three) and Araria and Purnia (one each), Disaster Management Department Additional Commissioner Pratyay Amrit said.

Over 9.87 lakh people have been evacuated to safer places by the army, navy and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, he said.

Over 3.15 lakh people were sheltered in the 324 relief camps, besides many in shanties erected with over 90,000 pieces of polythene sheets supplied by the government.

Less rain in the flood-ravaged areas has contributed to the let up in the flood situation, he said, adding over 3.11 lakh houses were damaged or destroyed completely in these five districts alone.

According to a release issued by the Union Ministry of Rural Development, President Pratibha Patil has sanctioned payment of grants-in-aid of a little over Rs 389.49 crore as second instalment for construction of dwellings in 14 flood-hit districts under the Indira Awas Yojana for 2008-09.

These districts include Araria, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Khagaria, Madhepura, Muzaffarpur, Nalanda, West Champaran, Patna, Purnia, Saharsa, Saran, Supaul and Vaishali.