Imphal, Aug 5 (IANS): Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Jitendra Singh on Wednesday conducted an aerial survey of flood-hit areas of Manipur where 20 people have died and several lakhs have been affected.

Rijiju, the minister of of state for home affairs, said the central government will release an amount of Rs.8.5 crore for relief measures in the flood-hit areas.

"The situation is very serious. There has been extensive damage all over. The flood has affected about 60 percent of the population. I have seen with my own eyes thousands of damaged houses and public property," Rijiju told IANS over phone.

During the aerial survey, the minister said he saw huge tracts of agricultural land, besides roads and bridges, in Thoubal and Chandel districts destroyed.

Jitendra Singh, the minister for the Development of North Eastern Region, appealed to the people to remain alert for outbreak of any disease.

Thousands of people in Thoubal and Chandel have been hit by the worst floods in the last 200 years.