Bihar floods Death toll crosses 150 more than one crore displaced

The death toll due to floods in Bihar has gone up to 153 as per the latest reports while the number of people marooned in 17 districts of the state has crossed the one crore mark, even as the Army was called in for relief work and rescue operations in the deluge-hit districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh adjoining Nepal. The situation, however, has improved slightly in Assam and West Bengal, with no heavy rains being reported currently. Araria district of Bihar reported 30 deaths, West Champaran 23, Sitamarhi 13, Madhubani 8 and Katihar 7. Eleven deaths occurred each in the districts of Kisanganj, East Champaran and Supual and nine each in Purnea and Madhepura.

Four deaths each occurred in Darbhanga, Gopalganj and Saharsa, three in Khagaria and Sheohar both, two in Saran and one in Muzaffarpur, according to Special Secretary of the Disaster Management Department Anirudh Kumar. He said that about 1.08 crore people have been affected by floods in 17 districts and 1,688 panchayats of the eastern state. The Met Department has said that there is a strong possibility of rain and thunder showers in Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur and Purnea on Saturday.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has reviewed the flood situation and given necessary instructions to officials. He has ordered intensive airdropping of food packets in Kursakanta, Palasi, Sikti and Jokihaat in Araria and Sugauli area in East Champaran, an official statement said. Twenty-eight National Disaster Response Force teams comprising 1,152 personnel are offering services in the marooned areas with the help of 118 boats.

Seven Army teams with 2,228 personnel are helping in relief and rescue operations with the help of 280 boats, a state Disaster Management Department release said. The Special Secretary in the Disaster Management Department said 1,765 community kitchens are serving 3.44 lakh people in several flood-hit areas of the state. Continuous rains and release of water in rivers has worsened the deluge situation in eastern Uttar Pradesh, necessitating the deployment of Army in the affected areas. The movement of traffic on the Gorakhpur-Sonauli road towards Nepal came to a standstill with the waters of Rohin River flooding the Maniram Township and the national highway, sources in the administration said.

As many as 105 villages of the district have been affected by the floods, of which 35 are totally submerged in water and the villagers have been evacuated to safer places, they said. According to a report from Siddhartnagar, Army helicopters assisted in giving relief material to the affected. Several districts in the eastern region of the state including Balrampur, Basti, Siddhartnagar, Barabanki, Ayodhya, Lakhimpur, Mahrajganj, and Gonda have been badly hit by the flood. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said Odisha was likely to experience heavy rainfall in next 24 hours due to a low pressure area created over northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining coastal region of the state.