Bihar floods toll 127, situation remains grim

Patna, July 27 (IANS) As many as 127 people are reported to have died in Bihar as the flood situation across 13 districts in the eastern state remained critical, affecting over 82 lakh people, according to officials on Saturday.

The situation is particularly grave in 13 districts in the northern part of the state. It has affected around 82,83,000 people in Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur, East Champaran, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Saharsa, Supaul, Kishanganj, Araria, Purnea, Katihar and West Champaran districts.

Water Resources Department spokesperson Arvind Kumar said though the water level in Koshi river declined a bit on Saturday, rivers like Gandak and Bagmati were flowing above the danger marks.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday reviewed the flood situation and relief works with officials through video-conferencing, Bihar Water Resource Minister Sanjay Jha told IANS.

Each flood-hit family was getting Rs 6,000 credited to their bank account, he added.

Relief camps have been set up in all the flood-hit districts with 888 community kitchens to provide food to people taking shelter in the camps. Twenty-seven companies of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed to oversee relief and rescue operations.

Thousands have fled homes in the Supaul district, road travel has been disrupted in the Katihar district.

Bagmati and Kamala rivers are likely to swell further as more water has been released from Nepal. The Darbhanga district administration has asked people to remain alert and has ordered closure of government schools.