Bihar Floods Affect Over 1.6 Million People

• Over 16 lakh people affected by floods in Bihar due to heavy rains and river overflow.
• NDRF and SDRF deployed 32 teams for rescue operations in severely hit districts.
• No fatalities reported; authorities remain on alert as water levels continue to rise.

Patna, Aug 11 (PTI) More than 16 lakh people have been affected by floods in Bihar, where several rivers are in spate due to torrential rainfall in the past 24 hours, officials said on Monday.

A total of

32 teams of the NDRF and the SDRF have been engaged in rescue operations, they said.

“Incessant rain in various districts, including Bhojpur, Patna, Bhagalpur, Vaishali, Lakhisarai, Saran, Munger, Khagaria and Begusarai caused rivers and streams to overflow… Besides, heavy rainfall in catchment areas of Nepal has also led to rivers flowing above the danger level at several places,” an official said.

“Rains in the past few days have raised the water level of the Ganga, Kosi, Bagmati, Burhi Gandak, Punpun and Ghaghara rivers in the state. These are flowing above the danger mark at certain places in Bhojpur, Patna, Bhagalpur, Vaishali, Lakhisarai, Saran, Munger, Khagaria and Begusarai,” the Disaster Management Department said in a statement.

More than 16 lakh people are currently affected by floods in the state. No deaths have been reported so far from any part of Bihar, it said.

“In view of the continuous rise in the water levels of several rivers in Bihar and heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of Nepal-based Gandak and Kosi rivers, all concerned wings of the Water Resources Department (WRD) have been instructed to stay on alert mode,” Principal Secretary, WRD, Santosh Kumar Mall, told PTI.

Directions have also been issued to districts concerned to remain fully prepared for setting up more relief camps and community kitchens if the situation aggravates further, he said.

Altogether 3,83,340 people in 18 panchayats of Saran district were affected by the floods, 3,15,596 people in 36 panchayats of Begusarai, 2,37,765 people in 67 panchayats of Bhagalpur, 1,88,000 people in 30 panchayats of Bhojpur, 1,85,786 people in 24 panchayats of Patna, 1,67,200 people in 23 panchayats of Vaishali, 1,26,000 people in 28 panchayat of Munger, the statement said.

Despite continuous rainfall, Bihar recorded 507.4 mm precipitation from August 1-10, which is 12 per cent less than the normal for this time of the year, it added. PTI PKD RBT