Patna: The flood situation aggravated in Bihar with the toll mounting to 166 even as 5.9 million people spread over 20 districts have been displaced by surging water, according to a disaster management department report on Wednesday.
Altogether 166 people have been killed due to worsening flood situation in Bihar, while 5.9 million people have been displaced in 20 districts, the report said.
The river Ganga is in spate in Khagaria district where Gogri and Narayanpur embankments have been breached by up to ten meters flooding 21 villages of four panchayats, it said.
The restoration and strengthening works on the embankments were underway on war footing, the report said.
In Arwal district, 30 people survived by swimming to safety after a country-made boat ferrying them capsized in Punpun river in Ibrahimpur village under Kinjar police station, it said.
There were no report of any casuality in the incident, the District Magistrate Kunwar Jung Bahadur said.
In Begusarai district, nine persons swam to safety after a boat carrying them capsized in the river Ganga in Narailipur village under Balia police station area, a report said.
Meanwhile, the Water Resources Department (WRD) minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary held a high-level meeting to review discharge of water from the catchment area in Nepal and heavy rainfall in the riverine area near the river Ganga.
Principal Secretary (WRD) Arun Kumar Singh inspected status of embankment near Punpun river and directed the engineers to activate anti-flood sluice canal to discharge water from Pahari Nalla, Khanua Nalla and Badshahi Nalla areas.
PTI
