Bihar: Floods hit 53 lakh people in 14 districts

PATNA: Major rivers in north Bihar continued to flow above the danger mark as 53,67,182 people were affected by the floods in 14 districts on Sunday. Over 3.5 lakh more people have been marooned compared to 49,05,007 till late Saturday evening.
An embankment of Tirhut canal breached in Mohammadpur Kothi panchayat area under the Sakra police station in Muzaffarpur early Sunday morning, inundating several adjoining villages near Pilkhi under Muraul block.The over 50 feet wide breach was caused due to the pressure of floodwaters in the canal which is connected to Burhi Gandak river. NDRF teams have been deployed in the area for relief work.
The floodwaters have inundated 113 blocks. While 13 people have died so far, 4,03,269 people have been evacuated to safer places as 31 NDRF and SDRF teams are carrying out rescue and relief operations in the affected areas.
The Mahananda was rising as well as flowing above the danger mark at Taiyabpur in Kishanganj and Dhangaraghat in Purnia. Similarly, Burhi Gandak, Kamla Balan, Ghaghra, Kosi and Khiroi rivers either showed a rising trend or remained steady. These rivers, however, were flowing above the danger mark at all flood gauge stations in Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Khagaria, Madhubani, Siwan and Darbhanga districts. Bagmati river was above the danger mark at almost all flood gauge stations in Sitamarhi, but had a falling trend at most places. The Ganga was rising at Buxar, Digha (Patna), Munger and Bhagalpur, but remained below the danger mark.
The Patna Meteorological Centre has issued yellow alert (thunderstorm with lightning and rainfall likely at one or two places) for the north Bihar districts on Monday and orange alert (moderate thunderstorm with lightning and heavy rain likely at one or two places) for all the districts on Tuesday.
Its weather bulletin said rainfall with thunderstorm are very likely at many places in West Champaran, Siwan, Saran, East Champaran, Gopalganj, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Vaishali, Sheohar and Samastipur for three days from Tuesday till August 6.
A report from Darbhanga said over 17 lakh people of 196 panchayats were reeling from floods. According to disaster management department, altogether 450 boats, including 399 private, were ferrying the people and three NDRF and SDRF teams were carrying out rescue and relief operations through 17 motorboats.
In Khagaria, the flood situation remained grim, affecting 85,660 population in 39 panchayats. The floodwaters of Kosi and Bagmati rivers have entered Buchha, Sarsawa, Rohiyar, Sonebersa, Thutthi Mohanpur, Maijani, Madhya Baurne, Poorvi Baurne, Balkunda, Kaithi Tola and Bangliya villages under Chautham block.
All embankments were safe, Khagaria DM Alok Ranjan Ghosh said.
Engineers were on high alert in Bagaha following the alarming situation on the Pipara-Piparasi embankment.
The swollen Ghaghra surged toward the riparian area of Chausa block in Madhepura district, damaging roads in the region. Floodwaters entered Arajpur, Chausa West, Chirauri, Fulaut East and West, Ghosai, Laualagan East and West Paina panchayats.
Surging floodwaters posed erosion threat to Morsanda-Dhaneshpur road near Ramcharan Tola and SH-58 near Bhargama, which links Kosi region with Bhagalpur and Jharkhand.
The Gandak floodwaters entered the State Food Corporation (SFC) godown at Kesariya in East Champaran and destroyed grains. The DM has been informed about the lapses on the part of the SFC officials.
(With inputs from B K Jha in Darbhanga, N P Thakur in Khagaria, Tirthraj Kushwaha in Bagaha, D N Saha in Madhepura and C B Pandey in Motihari)